It is no secret the ACC performed poorly as a conference in the first week of the college football season and picked up where it left off with disappointing and lackluster performances across the board.
ACC teams went 6-6 in non-conference play last week with a few bad losses and no help in high profile matchups.
In the only in conference matchup tenth ranked North Carolina fell at Virginia Tech 17-10 as quarterback Sam Howell attempted to make the most of high expectations in Chapel Hill despite losing a host of offensive talent following last season.
Each week The Clemson Insider will rank ACC teams 1-14 based on their performances in the 2021 season to date. Here are TCI’s ACC Power Rankings entering Week 2 of the new season.
- Clemson – The Tigers struggled to gain momentum offensively against a salty Georgia defense. But Clemson showed up on defense as well, keeping the Bulldogs out of the end zone with their only touchdown coming on a pick-six as Georgia won the Duke’s Mayo Classic 10-3. Clemson may have fallen in Week 1 but went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the country and remains the best team in the ACC by far despite the tough loss.
- Virginia Tech – The Hokies showed up to play in front of a raucous crowd at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, last Friday as they upset 10th-ranked North Carolina 17-10. Virginia Tech seemed to find the mojo it has missed the last few seasons and showed defensive prowess as it bottled up Heisman Trophy candidate Sam Howell. After Week 1, the Hokies certainly looked like the best team in the Coastal Division. They host Middle Tennessee State this weekend.
- N.C. State – The Wolfpack looked impressive in their season opener against South Florida in a mismatch to start the season. N.C. State overwhelmed Jeff Scott’s Bulls 45-0 at Carter Finley Stadium behind a dominant rushing performance with Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person rushing for a combined 268 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns. Defensively, the Pack held USF to 271 yards. This week, N.C. State travels to Mississippi State as a 2.5-point favorite in Starkville, Mississippi.
- Miami – The Hurricanes expectedly fell flat against Alabama in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta in a 45-10 onslaught. Miami fell out of the top 10 following the lopsided loss to the Crimson Tide but remained in the top 25 at No. 22. This week, D’Eriq King and company host Appalachian State at 7 p.m. on ESPN, and the Mountaineers are no cupcake.
- Boston College – The Eagles opened the year with Colgate and played like a superior football team should in a 51-0 win over the Raiders at Alumni Stadium. Phil Jurkovec looked impressive completing 16-of-24 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns along with 61 rushing yards. Zay Flowers turned heads in his return with seven catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. Jeff Haffley’s Boston College team looked dynamic on offense and stingy on defense, it hosts Massachusetts on Saturday.
- North Carolina – A lot of national analysts seemed disappointed with the Tar Heels after a 17-10 loss at Virginia Tech to start the season. But North Carolina lost essentially every key weapon on offense with the exception of Sam Howell at quarterback. While fans in Chapel Hill may be panicking, the Tar Heels are still in the thick of the Coastal Division title race and host Georgia State on Saturday.
- Florida State – The Seminoles finally looked like a competent football team on Monday as they took then-No. 9 Notre Dame to the wire in a 41-38 loss in overtime at Doak Campbell Stadium. UCF transfer quarterback McKenzie Milton led Florida State back with 18 fourth-quarter points to tie the game at 38 and force overtime. Florida State still has plenty of demons to exorcise in Tallahassee to return to the program standard but took a significant step Saturday. The Noles host Jacksonville State this weekend.
- Pitt – The Panthers rolled UMass on Saturday with a 51-7 win at Heinz Field. Kenny Pickett threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. This week, Pitt travels to Tennessee as the favorite at Neyland Stadium in a game of great importance for the ACC despite the Volunteers’ inconsistency in recent years.
- Virginia – Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers looked sharp in their 43-0 in-state win over William & Mary as they took care of business. The biggest note was the life Brennan Armstrong seemed to inject into the offense with 339 passing yards and two touchdowns. Virginia hosts Illinois on Saturday at 11 a.m.
- Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons waxed Old Dominion 42-10 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this past weekend. Wake Forest showed prowess on special teams with a 99-yard kickoff return by Ja’Sir Taylor. Sam Hartman completed 18-of-27 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. The game was only close for a minute in the first quarter when the Monarchs kicked a field goal to cut the score to 7-3 with 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff and Wake Forest ran away with the game. It hosts Norfolk State on Saturday at noon.
- Syracuse – Opt-outs killed the Orange last season and exaggerated a difficult season for Dino Baber’s squad in 2020. Syracuse struggled to pull away early against the Bobcats and entered the half time locker room ahead 12-6 in Athens, Ohio. But it showed up in the third and fourth quarters to take control of the game and win 29-6. The Orange plays Rutgers in their home opener at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
- Louisville – This offseason, nobody knew what to do with Louisville or which team would show up this season. The talent on the Cardinals’ roster did not show up on Labor Day as they were smacked by a mediocre Ole Miss team 43-24. The Rebels stormed out to a 26-0 lead at halftime before Louisville scratched 24 points back in the second half. The Cardinals made Ole Miss look like a defensive juggernaut (they aren’t) and significantly lowered my expectations for their season. Louisville hosts Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
- Duke – It seems like ages ago when conversation about the resurgence of Duke clouded conversation when it made the ACC Championship Game in 2013. The Blue Devils lost at Charlotte on Friday thanks to two unfortunate turnovers for the 49ers’ first-ever win over a Power Five opponent. Duke hosts North Carolina A&T on Friday.
- Georgia Tech – Just when it seemed like the ACC’s week could not get any worse after Duke’s unfortunate end, Geoff Collins and the Yellow Jackets stepped up. Georgia Tech fell behind 14-0 to Northern Illinois in the second quarter last Saturday and lost 22-21 to the Huskies in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets surrendered 301 yards and 165 yards on the ground to the Huskies. Georgia Tech hopes to rebound against Kennesaw State’s triple option attack at noon on Saturday.
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
