Thursday Night kicks off Week 3 of the college football season in a clash between two ACC foes in Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Through the first two weeks of the season, Miami has continued to look like the runaway favorite to win the conference, but a few teams are starting to show that they have the potential to pull off the upset.
The biggest game of the weekend may be between Alabama and the Florida State Seminoles. This week, the Seminoles fired their athletic director, and as a new regime takes over, Mike Norvell appears to be on even thinner ice. This weekend's game could either secure Norvell's future at Florida State, or speed up the timeline to get rid of him.
Power Ranking the ACC ahead of Week 3
17. Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal spent last weekend on the bye after suffering a beatdown at the hands of Miami. Ahead of next week's clash against Duke, Stanford has a ton to clean up after the 45-6 loss to the Canes. This week off should, however, give star running back Micah Ford a chance to get healthy, as he's been banged up to start the season.
16. Boston College Eagles
The Red Bandana game honoring September 11th hero Welles Crowther always brings a special atmosphere, and on Friday Night, Boston College used it to knock off Rutgers. The defense was on fire, forcing Rutgers to throw 4 interceptions while forcing the Scarlet Knights to turn the ball over on downs twice. The BC offense has plenty to clean up after turning the ball over 3 times, but leaving the day with a win is a great step for Bill O'Brien.
15. Syracuse Orange
After a blowout win over New Hampshire, there was some excitement back around the Syracuse Orange, but the ACC opener was always going to show where this team stood. Steve Angeli set the team back in a big way, throwing 3 interceptions while completing less than 50% of his passes, costing the team in a 3-point game. The defense did a solid job slowing down a Cal offense that can be explosive at times, but when your quarterback turns the ball over 3 times it's almost impossible to win.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Given all the pieces Georgia Tech lost in the offseason, it was clear the Yellow Jackets would take a step back, but the Yellow Jackets have been abysmal this season. Without Buster Faulkner, the offense has scored just two touchdowns in two weeks, as Alberto Mendoza has struggled stepping into the starting role. After facing two Power 4 opponents to start the season, this weekend against Mercer should be a great chance for this team to finally find a rhythm.
13. Florida State Seminoles
After suffering a loss where SMU tried to gift the Seminoles a win, Mike Norvell's team spent the week on the bye as this weekend brings a road trip to Tuscaloosa. This team has real concerns as the quarterback play has left a ton to be desired while the offensive line hasn't been impressive. It's going to take a miracle to beat Alabama, but it happened last season.
12. North Carolina Tar Heels
Bill Belichick's team returned to action after their debut in Dublin with a 35-7 win over East Tennessee State. Billy Edwards continues to look like a massive improvement at quarterback, while Belichick continues to call a solid defense. This weekend brings a massive test between two hot seat head coaches, as Clemson hosts UNC while starting a true freshman at quarterback.
11. NC State Wolfpack
After an awful showing in the season opener, NC State returned to action, and beat up on the Richmond Spiders. This weekend brings a new test where the Wolfpack will need to show progress against Vanderbilt. The Commodores do a lot of the same things that Virginia succeeded with, making this a real test for Dave Doeren's squad.
10. Duke Blue Devils
Through two games, Duke has been fine without Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate jumping out to a 2-0 start. Walker Eget is going to need to continue to grow as he faces a higher level of competition, but with Nate Sheppard powering the offense on the ground with Manny Diaz's defense this group can be dangerous again in the ACC.
9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
It took double overtime, but Wake Forest picked up their first Power 4 win of the season beating Purdue. The issue for the Demon Deacons is that this weekend brings an even bigger challenge as they host the favorites to win the ACC, Miami. Gio Lopez has played clean football to start the season, and he'll need to play a great game to knock off the Canes.
8. Virginia Tech Hokies
James Franklin has spent the first two seasons of his Virginia Tech tenure beating up on far inferior opponents, but this week brings a Power 4 opponent in Maryland. The offense has been electric through two weeks, but they're going to have to prove they can score against equal competition. The end of the season is a daunting stretch for the Hokies so racking up early wins is key.
7. California Golden Bears
After a tough season opening loss to a solid UCLA team, Tosh Lupoi picked up his first career win by beating Syracuse. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele played a clean game, but it was the three interceptions by Kingston Lopa that helped the Bears get the win. This weekend brings a game against Wagner, which should allow the offense to find a rhythm, as it has sky high potential.
6. Clemson Tigers
After suffering a beatdown at the hands of LSU, Dabo Swinney's team returned home, where they escaped with a 22-7 win over Georgia Southern. Tait Reynolds is now set as Clemson's starter, with Christopher Vizzina dealing with injuries while also struggling. The Tigers are going to need to play much better this weekend, as North Carolina has the potential to hand Dabo Swinney a second loss to start the season.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers
In a game filled with bad weather conditions, the Pitt Panthers escaped with a 12-7 win over UCF to move to 2-0. Now that Pitt is tested in Power 4 play, the Panthers get to kick off ACC play against Syracuse, who lost their league opener. Mason Heintschel is going to have to play at an elite level if the Panthers are going to have a succesful year, but he's shown he's capable of it nearly a year into his starting experience.
4. Louisville Cardinals
After a tough loss to Ole Miss in the season opener, Louisville was able to get themselves into the win column with a win over Villanova. Lincoln Kienholz was electric with 4 total touchdowns while Marquise Brown added a pair on the ground. This team still has some things to clean up, as Villanova did put up 10 points in the first half, but the Cardinals are only going to get more dangerous as Kienholz gains experience.
3. Virginia Cavaliers
After dominating NC State in the season opener, Virginia got the chance to blow out Norfolk State as they continue to gel as a roster. Beau Pribula didn't use his legs much, but he threw for 3 touchdowns and an interception while the offense rushed for 237 yards. The defense continues to look terrifying, and it could end up making the Cavaliers a serious contender in the ACC.
2. SMU Mustangs
It was a short week for SMU after a late Monday Night game against Florida State, but it was no issue against UC Davis. Kevin Jennings played a near-perfect game, going 14-for-16 for 337 yards and 5 touchdowns, powering the offense. Rhett Lashlee's team clearly has all the talent to go on a run to the ACC Championship game, and it'll all come down to limiting mistakes in ACC play.
1. Miami Hurricanes
Stanford hardly provided any resistance against Miami last week, which ensured that Florida A&M was in deep trouble. The Hurricanes never even made it to 3rd down in the first half, scoring 49 points and turning the game over to the backups. The games should start to get tougher next week with Miami facing Wake Forest, but thus far Darian Mensah has made this offense look unstoppable.
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