College Football: Week 5 ACC Power Rankings

The ACC football power rankings get a major shake-up after a wild weekend.

The ACC often goes as Clemson goes. And, while the Tigers finally lost a conference game once again, this signals a time of more parity than ever.

Ranking the ACC teams entering week 5 of the 2021 season.

14. Duke

Bishop Sycamore has played a more difficult schedule this season but the Blue Devils have shown signs of life after an abysmal loss to Charlotte in week 1.

13. Florida State

The Seminoles may struggle to notch a conference win but showed signs of both hope and despair in every game thus far.

12. Syracuse

The Orange and Florida State will battle it out this week, with the loser probably earning the title of Atlantic bottom-dweller. Syracuse’s win over Liberty this week should not be understated.

11. Virginia

A promising start to the season has been muddied by blowout losses to Wake Forest and UNC.

10. Miami

The blowout loss to Alabama was expected. A clunker against Michigan State is concerning. A narrow victory over App State is a problem. At least the Canes took care of business against Central Connecticut, though.

9. Pitt

The Panthers took care of business against a lesser opponent on Saturday. Their victory over Tennesee remains impressive but a loss to Western Michigan gives pause. Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Clemson are up next and will serve as a much better gauge of Pitt’s ability.

8. North Carolina

The ACC Coastal darling already has two conference losses including being walloped as 12-point favorites this weekend. Sam Howell and the Tar Heels are certainly capable of running the table, but this start is not indicative of their capabilities.

7. Georgia Tech

Clemson’s cross-conference rival nearly turned the tables on the Tigers last week and then lit up UNC this week. The loss in a season-opener to Northern Illinois remains a head-scratcher for a program that appears to be turning the corner.

6. Louisville

Does Louisville have the best non-conference victory in the ACC? It certainly appears so after a much-needed victory over Central Florida. The Cardinals followed that up by taking care of business early against FSU.

5. Boston College

BC is taking care of business so far, but its victories are over Colgate, UMass, Temple, and Mizzou. Games against Clemson, NC State, and Louisville in three straight games will be much more revealing, particularly without starting QB Phil Jurkovec.

4. Wake Forest

Nothing crazy, nothing super impressive. Just Wake Forest football as we have come to expect it under Dave Clawson. The Deacs will face their greatest test yet in Louisville this week.

3. Clemson

The Tigers have easily the best defense in the league and probably one of the three best in the country. However, they have obvious issues on offense. Though the most talented team in the ACC, Clemson will have to stop the bleeding by executing a little better with the ball in its hands.

2. Virginia Tech

Tech’s loss to WVU was certainly a surprise, but the Hokies still boast an impressive victory over UNC. This week, Notre Dame travels to Blacksburg for a game that could prove massive for Tech and the conference as a whole.

1. NC State

The first conference foe not named Notre Dame to defeat the Tigers since 2017. Enough said.

Also Read: Takeaways and game balls: Louisville vs. FSU