A wacky season of play in the ACC continued this past week headlined by Pittsburgh’s impressive win over Clemson and Miami’s upset win over North Carolina State. Wake Forest also remained undefeated with a 70-56 win over Army at West Point.
Each week The Clemson Insider ranks every team in the ACC 1-14 based off their performance from the previous week of competition.
Here are TCI’s ACC power rankings after eight weeks of the 2021 season.
- Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons defeated Army 70-56 in the highest scoring contest ever played at West Point last Saturday. It marked the first time since 1944 a Wake Forest team started a season 7-0 and only the second time a Wake team reached that mark in the program’s history. The No. 13 Demon Deacons host Duke on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
- Pitt – Kenny Pickett continued his Heisman calliber season on Saturday with 302 yards passing in a 27-17 win over Clemson at Heinz Field. The Panthers seem to have exorcised their early season loss to Western Michigan and are hitting stride at the right time. No. 17 Pitt hosts Miami on Saturday and is in the driver’s seat in the Coastal Division.
- Virginia – The Cavaliers won their fourth straight game on Saturday in a 48-40 win over Georgia Tech. Brennan Armstrong continued to impress with 396 yards passing. Virginia faces a still test this week as it travels to 25th ranked BYU on Saturday at 10:15 p.m.
- NC State – The Wolfpack fell short in a 31-30 loss at Miami on Saturday. NC State hopes to bounce back on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as it hosts Louisville at Carter-Finley Stadium.
- Louisville – The Cardinals bounced back above .500 on Saturday with a 28-14 win over Boston College. Malik Cunningham struggled in the passing game but made up for it with 133 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground in the win over the Eagles.
- Clemson – The Tigers fell flat at Pittsburgh last week as they struggled to contain and answer Pickett and the Panthers. Clemson hopes to bounce back as it hosts Florida State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
- Florida State – The Seminoles won their third straight game on Saturday in a 59-3 win over UMass in Tallahassee, Florida. Quarterback Jordan Travis hopes to keep the momentum rolling against the Tigers on Saturday.
- North Carolina – North Carolina had an open date last week and hopes to get above .500 in ACC play on Saturday with a test at No. 11 Notre Dame with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
- Syracuse – The Orange exploded on offense in a 41-36 win at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Quarterback Garret Shrader passed for 236 yards and rushed for 174 yards as Syracuse bounced back. Syracuse hosts Boston College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
- Miami – The Hurricanes held off North Carolina State on Saturday at North Carolina State to win their first ACC game of the season. Miami faces a tough task at No. 17 Pittsburgh on Saturday at noon.
- Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets fell below .500 on Saturday in a 48-40 loss to Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va. Georgia Tech has the week off before traveling to Miami on November 6.
- Virginia Tech – Virginia Tech fell to Syracuse at home last week and fell to 1-2 in ACC play and 3-4 overall in its third straight loss. It feels like a decade since the win over North Carolina in the Hokies’ season opener. They have a week off before traveling to Boston College on Friday Nov. 5.
- Boston College – It is no secret that Boston College has struggled since the loss of Phil Jurkovec earlier this season. Dennis Grosel completed 17-of-32 passes for 141 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions in the loss at Louisville on Saturday. The Eagles have dropped three straight and are seeking their first ACC win on Saturday at Syracuse.
- Duke – The Blue Devils are the only other team without a conference win. Duke had the week off before it travels to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face No. 13 Wake Forest on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
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