Ranking the ACC After Week Six of College Football Action

1. Virginia Tech (5-1, 2-0)—Last week: 1

A little bit sloppy against Western Kentucky in a 27-13 win. Biggest blow is losing starting tailback Kenny Lewis Jr. for the season. They get two weeks to prepare for a tricky game at Boston College.

 

2. Georgia Tech (4-1, 1-1)—Last week: 2

Who says the Yellow Jackets can't throw the ball? 230 yards passing by backup QB Jaybo Shaw says the Jackets can, and that will pay dividends later in the season.

Georgia Tech's front four on defense continues to be the ACC's best. They absolutely smothered a decent Duke offense. Defensive linemen Vance Walker, Derrick Morgan, Michael Johnson, and Darryl Richard will all be appearing on NFL rosters in the coming years. 

 

3. Wake Forest (3-1, 1-0)—Last week: 3                                                                   

Major showdown with Clemson Thursday night. They will have to take care of the ball much better than they did against Navy last week if they expect to win.

 

4. North Carolina (4-1, 1-1)—Last week: 4                                                     

They step out of conference and easily handle No. 24 Connecticut. Heels seem to be hitting on cylinders and are one dangerous team. Intriguing game with Notre Dame next week. Hey Heels, get those lights fixed before the game, please.

 

5. Florida State (4-1, 1-1)—Last week: 6

41-39 winner in a sloppy game in the rain with the Miami Hurricanes. Christian Ponder may be the best Florida State running QB since Charlie Ward.

It might have been the rain, but there were still a lot of mistakes made by the Noles... muffed punts, interceptions from their own endzone, fumbles, 12 penalties... The Noles will need to tighten up against better competition.

Wow, did I just say that about the Miami Hurricanes? Yep, the Canes are not good.

 

6. Boston College (4-1, 1-1)—Last week: 8                                                      

Almost blew two-TD lead with NC State, but it's Chris Crane to the rescue scoring a TD in the final seconds! Crane has been up and down as QB of the Eagles this year, but this was definitely a step in the right direction for him. They can make a big statement if they can beat Virginia Tech in two weeks.

 

7. Clemson (3-2, 1-1)—Last week: 7                                                                

Tommy Bowden and the Tigers get a shot at redemption next Thursday in a game with Wake Forest. A win and they're right back in the thick of the Atlantic Division race. If they lose, the division title is history, and a season filled with promise will effectively be over before the leaves change.

 

8. Miami (2-3, 0-2)—Last week: 9                                                                

Despite the loss to FSU, Miami shows some resilience in making a game of it. With their talent though, something just isn't right with this team.

I've never been a fan of offensive coordinator Patrick Nix, even during his days at Georgia Tech. They only had 256 yards of offense today.

 

9. Maryland (4-2, 1-1)—Last week: 5                                                                            

The ACC's resident schizophrenic team loses 31-0 to Virginia... Huh? Most surprising result of the weekend in the ACC. The Terps don't have enough talent to just show up for games. Maryland's coaching staff gets an F for this week's effort. Who knows what they will do when they face Wake Forest in two weeks?

 

10. Duke (3-2, 1-1)—Last week: 10                                                                                

The Blue Devils are improved, but they were completely stifled by Georgia Tech's outstanding defense. I don't expect the Blue Devils to struggle that much on offense against most of the opponents they will face, as few teams can match the defensive front they saw today. It wouldn't be a shock if they beat Miami in two weeks.

 

11. NC State (2-4, 0-2)—Last week: 11                                                                         

Fought hard in taking Boston College to the final minute but defense gave up 578 yards... Yikes! Off week to get the defense in order before facing FSU on Oct. 16.

 

12. UVA (2-3, 1-1)—Last week: 12                                                                 

The Cavaliers literally had showed nothing before this week's 31-0 route of Maryland. Suddenly Cedric Pearman runs for 110 yards, QB Marc Veric throws for 226 with no turnovers, and the Cavs look like a totally different team than the last month. I'm not convinced they have turned the corner, but if they beat East Carolina next week, I would be.