ACC Power Rankings: #4 FSU Survives, #17 UNC falls
By Dante Pryor
14. Syracuse Orange (0-3, 4-3):
The Orange is a walking mash unit. Orande Gadsen and Trebor Pena, their two best receivers, are out. Gadsen is out for the season. Quarterback Garrett Schrader has nowhere to throw the football. Umari Hatcher and Damien Alford are playing better. Are their two wins left on the schedule? Maybe, if they can score more than eight points in ACC play.
13. Virginia Cavaliers (1-2, 2-5):
The Cavaliers got its first ACC win of the season in a 31-27 stunner over UNC. Virginia is the worst running team in the conference, but they found a way to rush for 228 yards. Quarterback Tony Muskett was solid, throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown. We’ll see if Tony Elliot and the V-Men have another upset in them this year.
12. Pittsburgh Panthers (1-3, 2-5):
The appropriate phrase for what’s upcoming for the Panthers is “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” After losing a winnable game against Wake Forest — Pitt outgained Wake — they get back-to-back games against #14 Notre Dame and #4 Florida State. This season is not going the way head coach Pat Narduzzi envisioned. I wonder if Narduzzi has Mark Whipple’s phone number.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-3, 4-3):
Speaking of those Demon Deacons, head coach Dave Clawson and his staff are not having the season they envisioned. One of the downsides of being a developmental program is depth. When players get hurt, you rarely have playable backups. It remains to be seen if Mitch Griffis will be healthy against #4 FSU. It will be a long November in Winston-Salem if he can’t go.