ACC Rankings By Division

At this point, the ACC is looking like it is a wide-open race.  We’ll go through and rank the teams by division, now that we are getting into conference play.

Atlantic

Maryland: The Terps beat the “best” team in the ACC with a win over Clemson Saturday, and have now beaten two top-20 teams in the past few weeks with wins over Clemson and Cal.  Yes, this is the same team that barely beat Delaware and lost to Middle Tennessee State.  Maryland has proven that they can win or lose to anyone.  If they come out ready to play and get the ball in the hands of playmaker Darrius Heyward-Bey at least once a game, Maryland could easily win their division.

Wake Forest: Wake Forest lost this week, but they have already proven themselves in the division with a win over Florida State.  Turnovers are what killed them against Navy on Saturday. When they protect the football, they are a much better team, and Riley Skinner normally does a better job of that than he did Saturday. 

3)  Clemson: Despite losing to Maryland and going to 1-1 in conference play, Clemson is still considered the favorite to win this division by many.  They have one of the best rushing attacks in the country with C.J. Spiller and James Davis, but they have not utilized them as well as they could.  In the first half against Maryland Saturday, they had to settle for a field goal after an incomplete pass on third-and-two. They chose to throw the ball despite picking up at least two yards on every previous rush of the drive, and Maryland clearly couldn’t stop them on the ground. 

Florida State: FSU had an impressive win over Colorado Saturday, but they already have a loss in conference to Wake Forest.  Florida State has a difficult schedule in conference, having to play the best teams in the coastal division in Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Miami.  Florida State needs to have a good rushing attack in order to be successful, as they have multiple quarterbacks already this season, both of whom have struggled and committed turnovers.

Boston College: BC lost in conference to Georgia Tech and their wins come over Kent State, Central Florida, and Rhode Island.  Not that impressive.  They are definitely not the same team without Matt Ryan.  They played two quarterbacks on Saturday against Rhode Island, and both were a combined 3-for-9 for a whopping 27 yards. If teams can shut down their rushing attack, BC is going to have a tough time finding offense.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?