ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Four

The Hokies hit rock bottom on Saturday night with their blowout loss to Old Dominion and as a result, head coach Brent Pry was fired on Sunday. The Hokies have not played a conference game yet, but will they be able to rally and maybe get to a bowl game? That feels very unlikely right now and this may go down as one of the worst Virginia Tech teams of all time.

16. Boston College (1-2, 0-1)

This was one of the most shocking results of the day. The Eagles went across the country and took on a Stanford team who looked lifeless in their first two games, but it was Boston College who looked lifeless on Saturday night. It now seems far fetched that Boston College can make a bowl game unless they can get things turned around quickly.

15. Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1)

Wake Forest played a more respectable game against NC State than many thought, but they still lost in the end. The Demon Deacons are off this week before resuming ACC play against Georgia Tech.

14. Stanford (1-2, 1-0)

Give Stanford a lot of credit. I thought this team had 0-12 written all over it, but they found a way to beat Boston College at home as a double-digit underdog. Now, I still think the Cardinal are one of the worst teams in the conference, but they deserve a lot of credit for not quitting early in the season and getting a good win.

13. Syracuse (2-1, 0-0)

Syracuse did not face stiff competition this week, but they found a way to win and win convincingly against Colgate. The Orange will open up ACC play this week against Clemson and Syracuse could be catching the Tigers at the right time.

12. North Carolina (2-1, 0-0)

North Carolina has recovered somewhat nicely since being embarrassed against TCU in week one. The Tar Heels have beaten Charlotte and Richmond and have looked pretty solid on defense. Can they go on the road and get a win against UCF?

11. Duke (1-2, 0-0)

The Blue Devils have fallen hard during these last two weeks. While losses to Illinois and Tulane are non-conference losses, Duke just does not have the look of an ACC contender. There is still time to get it together and this weeks game against NC State should say a whole lot.

10. Pittsburgh (2-1, 0-0)

You could argue the Panthers belong lower on this list, but I will keep them at No. 10 for now. Pittsburgh had a golden opportunity to get a win against hated rival West Virginia and move to 3-0, but the squandered the lead and lost in overtime. The Panthers have still not played a conference game and have a bye week ahead, but there is a lot to work on between now and then.

9. Virginia (2-1, 0-0)

While only playing William & Mary, Virginia did what it needed to do and won handily, while also having a historic offensive day. The Cavaliers face Stanford this weekend and then host Florida State to close out the month.

8. California (3-0, 0-0)

The surprise team of the ACC so far. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had another good game and Justin Wilcox's team has started 3-0 after a good win over Minnesota. Can they continue to win this weekend when they travel to San Diego State?

7. NC State (3-0, 1-0)

It has not been pretty every week, but NC State is 3-0 and quarterback CJ Bailey continues to impress. I am concerned that the Wolfpack's defense might be really bad, but this still looks like a bowl team at worst and a potential ACC surprise team at its best. Can they go on the road and beat Duke on Saturday?

6. SMU (2-1, 0-0)

SMU won agaisnt Missouri State, but it was not pretty. The Mustangs looked like they were sleepwalking in this game on the road and they are going to have to play much better if they want to win this weekend against TCU, who might be the best team in the Big 12.

5. Clemson (1-2, 0-1)

The Tigers have fallen and fallen hard. If there was any doubt if Clemson was a legitimate national championship contender this year, it was answered on Saturday. Now, Georgia Tech is a really good team, but it is clear that this Clemson team is not going to live up to the lofty expectations that were placed on it during the preseason. Could they still rally and win the ACC? Sure, they did it last year, but this team is not capable of winning the playoff.

4. Louisville (2-0, 0-0)

Louisville was off this week and will resume play this weekend against Bowling Green.

3. Florida State (2-0, 0-0)

Florida State was off this weekend and will resume play on Saturday vs Kent State.

2. Georgia Tech (3-0, 1-0)

Saturday's win felt like the cumulation of three years of hard work and building from Brent Key and this program. The Yellow Jackets, led by star quarterback Haynes King, took down the Tigers for the first time since 2014 and now Georgia Tech is set up to be a clear contender in the ACC. Now, they must face a very formidable opponent and that opponent is expectations.

1. Miami (3-0, 0-0)

You could make the argument that Miami has been the most impressive team in the country so far this season. After beating Notre Dame in week one, the Hurricanes destroyed No. 18 USF over the weekend. The offense looks good under Carson Beck and they are elite on the line of scrimmage. For now, Miami is the team to beat in the ACC.