ACC Power Rankings: Week 5

We have a new number one in the Power Rankings and it's exactly who you thought it would be. The top and bottom of this conference is starting to become clear but the bottom half is just sad. We take a look at them anyway and I end up regretting it. Here are your week 5 Power Rankings.    


     Chris                               Mitch                              Pat
1. Clemson                      1. Georgia Tech              1. Clemson
2. Georgia Tech               2. Clemson                     2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia Tech                3. Virginia Tech              3. Georgia Tech
4. Florida State                4. Florida State               4. Florida State
5. UNC                            5. Miami                        5. UNC
6. Wake Forest                6. UNC                          6. Wake Forest
7. Miami                          7. Wake Forest              7. Miami
8. UVA                            8. Maryland                    8. UVA
9. Maryland                     9. Duke                          9. Maryland
10. Duke                       10. Boston College          10. NC State
11. NC State                 11. UVA                          11. Duke
12. Boston College        12. NC State                  12. Boston College


Power Rankings


1. Clemson (LW 2) (4-0)

Pat: There you have it! The front-runner in the ACC. Like ‘The Nature Boy’ always said, “to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best” and Clemson beat the ACC favorite the week after knocking off the defending national champion. The offense in South Carolina is poignant, and the defense keeps up. If Tajh Boyd keeps this going throughout the season and doesn’t win ACC player of the year, then we’ll know someone else must have had a stellar finish to the season. Over 1100 yards, 13 Touchdowns and only 2 interceptions against defenses like Florida State and an SEC team. My anticipation in seeing Florida State and VT at the end of the year has been subdued and the week 5 match-up in Blacksburg has replaced it.

Mitch: What an offense! They have legit stars and a good leader at quarterback. They still don't have a good defense, so if a team can give them 5 extra possessions via penalty or turnovers, then they could probably win by oh, 4 or 5 points... man, that sounds familiar.

2. Georgia Tech (LW 4) (4-0)


Chris: I have said it all season they key to Georgia Tech's success is in their passing game and it showed once again against North Carolina. The offense has passed for 927 passing yards through four games on just 47 pass attempts. That means that Georgia Tech is averaging almost 20 yards per pass attempt. Very impressive. Defense could be a problem for Georgia Tech going further into the season. Opposing teams are averaging almost 24 points per game. If Georgia Tech's offense has an off day, teams are able to score Georgia Tech. If this team slips up this season expect the defense to be the culprit. 


Pat: I don’t think I’d get many disagreements in saying this might be the most dangerous offense I’ve seen on a football field since watching Tom Brady  throw to Randy Moss in 2007. Surprisingly so! I’ll admit my mistakes in guessing where this team would land in the ACC landscape, if you’ll admit no one could see Tevin Washington coming. He’s more effective at running this offense than Josh Nesbitt because he can throw the ball. This team will pick up more yards throwing the ball 10 times a game than most teams would throwing it 30. It’s a tired style, but with a twist. Expect them to cause some damage in the ACC this year.
 

3. Virginia Tech (LW 3) (4-0)


Pat: They are undefeated this early in the season for the first time in a surprisingly long time. If they could’ve had an early season schedule last year like they do this year, they might have had a bid for the BCS championship. However, this team is matching up with Tajh Boyd’s offense this weekend. Thankfully, the games in Blacksburg where loses don’t come easy. Expect there to be a lunch-pale play or two in this game; I’d expect to see a lot of heart on the field by the Hokies Saturday. They’ll need a big top-25 win to secure themselves among the nation’s best, and I personally think they’ll get that win. We must protect this house!


Chris: Defense, special teams and running the ball. Frank Beamer's career in Blacksburg has flourished with this scheme and this year's team will be no different. Except that they are different. The defense is tough and look more similar to the defenses of old than any Virginia Tech defense the last few years. They are fun to watch. They get pressure on the quarterback, force turnovers and don't allow big plays. That defense will be put the test this weekend with Clemson's well run offense. But how this team is different than in the past, special teams seem to be a problem for Virginia Tech. VT is averaging about 35 yards per punt. That is not going to get it done in the field position type games Tech likes to play. Also the field goal kicker, sophomore Cody Journell, is 4 of 7 so far this season. A tough game, like this weekends is expected to be, comes down to field goals and field position and Virginia Tech could struggle with both this weekend.  


4. Florida State (LW 1) (2-2)


Mitch: Even with a back-up quarterback and wide-receivers they scored 23 points on the road. The offense isn't the issue even though the run is struggling. The defense is still very good. The problem is poor decisions in key situations, like not recognizing who the potential receivers are in third and long and not letting them go past you because that is all they can do to get the conversion (I am looking at you Vince Williams) or making bad pass interfence plays when the receiver doesn't have a shot at the ball (ref you don't have to throw that flag). We hurt ourselves and gave Clemson 30 more plays than we had. Gotta get off the field. That's our fatal flaw, inexperience. And considering the change throughout last year's defense from first to last game, we should be ok.


Chris: I am surprised at where Florida State is at this point in the season. Maybe 5th in the country was too high but I still expected them to be the best team in the ACC. It isn't that they lost to Clemson last weekend it was that they played so well against Oklahoma the week before and didn't seem to be the same team going into Clemson. Maybe the road got to them. Maybe there was hangover from the Oklahoma game. I don't know but I expect this team to come back after having this weekend off and once again look like the best team in the ACC. If not, this team could be in trouble. 


5. UNC (LW 5) (3-1)


Pat: This is the lowest I have had UNC this season. I think the Tar Heels are exceeding expectations considering the preseason issues; I just think they’re getting overshadowed by the rest of the teams at the top in the ACC. And I must say I think the only thing standing in the way of ‘us and them’ is youth at the quarterback position. Don’t get me wrong, Bryn Renner is great, as was expected but a lot of the blame for the inability of the Tar Heels to move the ball in the first half against Georgia Tech came from his passing. Slightly inaccurate, but he turned it around and nearly, very nearly, won a tough game on the road. This was a good learning experience for the young prospect. Give him a few games and he’ll make you say T.J.? T.J. who?


Mitch: Thank you for an exciting ACC game. The long runs and pass plays kept me glued in. However, might I suggest actually making stops with a defense that was bought for the sole purpose of making stops.


6. Wake Forest/Miami (Wake Forest LW 8/Miami 6) (Wake Forest 2-1/Miami 1-2)


Mitch: I am playing dynasty mode on NCAA12. I am an offensive coordinator for FSU. In a bad omen, on the Thursday before the Clemson game I lost to Oklahoma and Clemson in games that the offense couldn't get it done and then the defense couldn't get it done. I played the Clemson game three more times to try and erase the bad feeling and despite the wins I still felt cursed. Dammit! Anyways, my goal is to get a good job via coaching carousel and land at Wake Forest and make them the Stanford of the East.

Pat: Well, why not? Give me one valid reason why Wake Forest shouldn’t round out the top half of the ACC. I’ll give you five why they should. N.C. State, W 34-27; Gardner Webb, W 48-5; Miami lost to Maryland who then lost to Temple by 31 points; and the other ACC ‘unmentionables’ (Duke, Boston College, NC State); finally, there only loss came on the road in overtime. See, 6^th.

Chris: Maybe Miami's biggest mistake (well maybe not biggest) over the last few years is moving from the Orange Bowl to the Sun Life Stadium (The stadium's name might have changed in between typing this and posting it). The Orange Bowl was the Hurricane's home and was a scary place for opponents to play. Now they play in the Dolphin's home and fans just don't show up. I won't try to embarrass Miami fans by showing pictures of the stands the last few years but it isn't good. There hasn't been much on the field to support but moving to an NFL stadium and having lots of empty seats doesn't show well on your program. The only way a recruit would want to play in front of that many empty seats is if you tell them it's so their moms and hookers don't have to seat near each other. 

Mitch: I thought Golden had them consistent. I thought they would execute. Dammit, they lost to Kansas State (Editors note: I called that!)... and Bill Snyder, who looks 85 years old. Whatever, Miami, you are what you are at this point.


8. Maryland (LW 7) (1-2)


Pat: Wow, Maryland. You guys were my upset pick over top 25 WVU and nearly proved me right. Was beating Miami all you guys wanted to achieve this year? Danny O’Brien is not playing the way he did last year and that’s really starting to cause problems for the Terrapin offense who couldn’t manage to break the 10 point ceiling against a Temple team from whom we have little to expect. Don’t expect this team to be a threat in the Atlantic until Danny O’Brien can get his act together. They’ve got the Towson Tigers next week, then will have a gauntlet of challenges facing Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Floritda State. Expect this team to fall further and further in the ACC.


Mitch: Young, young and new coach. Those three things will hurt you. Let down game, emotional roller coasters and bad uniforms... ok the last one is avoidable. Either way, there are a lot of things going right here, it just isn't coming together.


9. UVA (LW Tied for 9th) (2-2)


Chris: UVA is on a slide this season but I still think headed in the right direction. It would be easy to say down is the right direction for a UVA team but I actually think this team is getting better. It didn't really show this weekend against Southern Mississippi though. There will still be loses like this as every improving program has to take its lumps but two or three years from now expect UVA to be winning these games easily and competing for the Coastal Division, as much as I will hate it. 


Pat: Virginia is one of those teams that looks like they could do subtle damage in the ACC, and I think they are capable of that. They lack the talent to unexpectedly roll over a top tier team, but they have enough talent to beat any average team they play. With that said, they have the ability to lose a game or two to average teams too, and I think that’s where you put Southern Mississippi. But, after two loses by a touchdown or less, expect the Cavaliers to pick up the pace and get back on track next week hosting Idaho.
 

10. Duke (LW 11) (2-2)


Mitch: I haven't watched a game of theirs. There I said it.


Chris: Duke is going to be an under dog this weekend going to Florida International on Saturday. This is probably to be expected but it just makes me sad. A Sun Belt team is favored against an ACC school. I really enjoy doing this power ranking but the bottom of this conference just makes me sad and I would rather not think about these teams. 


11. NC State (LW Tied for 9th) (2-2)


Chris: You stink NC State. I just realized that you are also going to be my Upset Pick of the Week this weekend against Georgia Tech. I wish I could admit that drugs or alcohol were involved in my choice but sadly they were not. I thought I was going to be able to blame their poor play in Mike Glennon but I think his numbers show he is not the problem. He has thrown for 1079 on 65 percent passing with 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. The running game is where NC State's problems lie. On 120 rushing attempts this season NC State is averaging 2.83 yards per carry. That is not going to get it done. NC State has to improve their rushing attack or they will find a permanent spot at the bottom of these power rankings. 


Mitch: Russell Wilson is a god. Tom O'Brien is a selfish son of a bitch, who hates people who are better at their job than he is at coaching (I can't prove this, but his desire to see ilson out is evidence that he likes his own recruits, the "new" thing, or is just not a good evaluator/developer of talent.) #blanketstatements... PS. Should I be thanking O'Brien for running Wilson off? I mean, he single handedly made NC State a non factor. Revenge will be sweet.


12. Boston College (LW 12) (1-3)


Pat: Oh, com’ on. Don’t start winning now and act like you guys are a (quote, unquote) “Football Team”. Is there anyway we can send you guys back to the Big East as a consolation gift for stealing their good teams? I don’t think this team will win another game this season. But at home against Wake next week will be their best chance.  

Chris: Hey Boston College you won!! We as a conference are proud of you. I am just kidding we are not proud. You are not a good team. I really don't think you win another game this season and that will allow even Duke to laugh at you at seasons end. ACC football everyone!




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