ACC Power Rankings, Week 2: Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia maintain top spots

The opening week of the college football season provided a smattering of upsets, but teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference remained relatively unscathed.

The result is status quo at the top of the ACC Power Rankings for Week 2, with Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia – which combined to win their openers by a 106-28 margin – holding on to the top three spots.

The next three teams in last week’s rankings all lost their first games, with Miami falling against Florida (24-20), Florida State losing late to Boise State (36-31) and Virginia Tech dropping its opener at Boston College (35-28), which accounted for some shuffling among the teams in the league’s second tier.

1. Clemson

After handily dispatching Georgia Tech, 52-14, in its season opener behind 205 yards rushing from Travis Etienne, top-ranked Clemson will turn its attention to a more formidable foe – 11th-ranked Texas A&M. The Aggies pushed the eventual national champions to the limit last year before losing 28-26 in College Station, Texas. This year’s matchup could be one of the Tigers’ biggest challenges.

Up next: vs. No. 11 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ABC

2. Syracuse

Syracuse blanked Liberty 24-0 in its opener and will face a trip to Maryland before hosting Clemson in the first big ACC showdown of the season Sept. 15. Dino Babers has the Orange playing with confidence after last year’s 10-win season, and the rest of the league has been put on notice that visits to the Carrier Dome aren’t just hazardous during basketball season.

Up next: at Maryland, noon (ET), Saturday on ESPN2

3. Virginia

The Cavaliers face William & Mary this week after opening with a 30-14 victory at Pitt, but things get a bit more challenging from here. Virginia will host Florida State on Sept. 14, then have back-to-back road games at Notre Dame and Miami.

Up next: vs. William & Mary, 8 p.m. (ET), Friday on ACCN

 4. Miami

The Hurricanes certainly don’t want to fall to 0-2, but next up on the docket is a road game at upstart North Carolina, which knocked off South Carolina in its opener and is hopeful that it can experience a football rebirth under former coach Mack Brown. If Miami can survive the trip to Chapel Hill, it will be rewarded with five consecutive home games and the chance to build a fairly impressive resume.

Up next: at North Carolina, 8 p.m. (ET), Saturday, ACCN

5. Boston College

The Eagles are upwardly mobile after knocking off Virginia Tech in their opener, supplanting Florida State at the No. 5 spot. Quarterback Anthony Brown passed for 275 yards and ran for a touchdown to spark Boston College, which lost a good bit of talent off last year’s team, but still has A.J. Dillon in the backfield and a budding star in freshman receiver Zay Flowers. With Richmond, Kansas and Rutgers on the immediate schedule, the Eagles could easily be 4-0 when they host Wake Forest on Sept. 28.

Up next: vs. Richmond, 3:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, ACCN

6. N.C. State

The Wolfpack defense looked solid and so, too, did quarterback Matt McKay in his first career start. McKay passed for 308 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores in State’s 34-6 victory against East Carolina. The Pirates aren’t expected to win many games, so it’s hard to get a good gauge on the Wolfpack, who play Western Carolina this week. We’re not going to learn much about this team until Week 3, when the Wolfpack travel to West Virginia.

Up next: vs. Western Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (ET), Saturday, Raycom

7. Wake Forest

Jamie Newman may be the right choice at quarterback for the Demon Deacons. The hero of last year’s Birmingham Bowl victory against Memphis, Newman got his 2019 season off to a fast start, completing 34 of 47 passes for 401 yards with three touchdowns. The Deacons’ defense is a big suspect, but this team can put up some points. Wake will take its show on the road to face Rice this week and then return home to host rival North Carolina.

Up next: at Rice, 8 p.m. (ET), Friday on CBSSN

8. Florida State

The Seminoles led 31-13 but collapsed late against Boise State and wound up surrendering a whopping 621 yards in a 36-31 loss. Perhaps the Seminoles, who are coming off the program’s first losing season since 1976, can take solace that Boise may be the best Group of Five team in the country, but Florida State and embattled coach Willie Taggart could ill afford a season-opening loss in such fashion.

Up next: vs. Louisiana Monroe, 5 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ACCN

9. Virginia Tech

The Hokies have slipped a few spots after opening with a loss at Boston College. Justin Fuente’s team can right the ship with games against Old Dominion and Furman the next couple of weeks but certainly can’t afford a slip-up against either of those two smaller but competitive programs.

Up next: vs. Old Dominion, noon (ET), Saturday on ESPNU

10. North Carolina

The Tar Heels jump up a couple of spots after upsetting South Carolina. North Carolina showed some mettle behind freshman quarterback Sam Howell and defensive back Myles Wolfolk, who intercepted two Gamecocks passes. Coach Mack Brown’s post-victory dance moves could use some work, but no Tar Heels fans are complaining after last year’s 2-10 season. We’ll know a lot more about this team after games against Miami and Wake Forest the next two weeks.

Up next: vs. Miami, 8 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ACCN

11. Louisville

The Cardinals, 2-10 in 2018, hung with Notre Dame for a while in the opener – the game was tied at 14 until late in the first half. The Irish pulled away for a 35-17 win, but Louisville showed some fight under first-year coach Scott Satterfield, who came from much success at Appalachian State. Javian Hawkins was a bright spot for the Cardinals, rushing for 122 yards.

Up next: vs. Eastern Kentucky, 7 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ACCN

12. Duke

The Blue Devils hung with No. 2 Alabama for a while but still managed only a field goal in a 42-3 defeat. Things get considerably easier from here for Duke, which doesn’t have to play Clemson this season and gets N.C. A&T next to help fuel a recovery.

Up next: vs. N.C. A&T, 6 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ACCN

13. Pitt

The Panthers, who represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game last December, will be hard-pressed for a repeat performance. Pitt lost at home to Virginia to open the season last week and things may not get better anytime soon – Ohio, Penn State and UCF are next up on Pitt’s difficult schedule.

Up next: vs. Ohio, 11 a.m. (EST), Saturday on ACCN

14. Georgia Tech

Tech is a team in transition, and that was painfully evident in a 52-14 loss to Clemson. Until first-year coach Geoff Collins gets personnel in place to run his offense rather than the triple-option, the Yellow Jackets may continue to struggle.

Up next: vs. South Florida, 2 p.m. (ET), Saturday on ACCN