Week Five ACC Power Rankings: Georgia Tech tumbles to the bottom after loss to Stanford
The ACC felt a little less settled this weekend than it did a week ago. Louisville entered the week with momentum after beating SMU, then watched its defense unravel against Wake Forest.
SMU had to grind past Missouri State. Virginia Tech survived a late push from Boston College in awful weather.
Miami kept rolling. And right in the middle of all that churn, Georgia Tech’s season took another ugly turn.
The Yellow Jackets led Stanford 20-10 at halftime, then got outscored 24-7 after the break in a 34-27 loss that dropped them to 1-3. After their best season in nearly a decade, Georgia Tech now looks like the worst team in the power four, and the slide has been brutal.
Stanford’s day was the kind that can change a mood fast. The Cardinal had managed just 13 points combined across their first two ACC games, then erupted for 34 against Georgia Tech.
Davis Warren turned in what may have been the best game of his career, and Tavita Pritchard picked up his first ACC win as head coach. Next up is a major road test at Wake Forest.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, keeps forcing people to pay attention. The Demon Deacons followed up their strong showing against Miami with another huge one at Louisville, where they beat the Cardinals and moved to 3-1 under Jake Dickert. They now get Stanford at home next weekend.
Louisville’s defense was the problem again. After last week’s win over SMU had people talking about the Cardinals as a darkhorse playoff contender, they were suddenly being penciled in as favorites the rest of the way.
That conversation looks a lot shakier now. The Cardinals still have a path to the ACC Championship Game, but the margin for error is much thinner.
A road trip to NC State comes next.
NC State got back on track with a win over a feisty App State team, though it was far from spotless. The Wolfpack responded after the loss to Vanderbilt, but there are still plenty of questions heading into next week’s home game against Louisville.
Virginia also bounced back from its loss to West Virginia, handling Delaware without much trouble. The Cavaliers return to ACC play next weekend against Florida State.
Florida State needed something positive and got it, even if it wasn’t exactly dazzling. The Seminoles beat Central Arkansas 34-7 for their second win of the season, and they need a victory over UVA next week if they want to inject some life into the program.
Duke continues to look more convincing every week. The Blue Devils took care of William & Mary with ease and are starting to look like a real threat in the conference. They’re off next weekend before heading to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech in week six.
Miami still looks like the team to beat. The Hurricanes handled Central Michigan quickly on Saturday and remain the class of the ACC through the first month of the season. Their next road trip is a big one: Clemson.
Clemson, for its part, got a solid win over Cal after leaning on stingy defense and a strong ground game. The Tigers moved to 2-0 in ACC play and still have a shot at Charlotte, especially with the league looking so open. Miami comes to town next week, which should tell us plenty.
Cal’s issues keep piling up. The Golden Bears’ offense looks lost despite the talent on hand, and the defense couldn’t slow Clemson’s run game. They head to UNLV next weekend looking for their third win of the season.
Boston College showed some fight against Virginia Tech in a game shaped by miserable weather. The Eagles may have found something with their QB run game, but there’s still a lot to sort out before their week five matchup with SMU.
SMU, meanwhile, did not inspire much confidence against Missouri State. The Mustangs looked flat for most of the game and only pulled away in the fourth quarter. Whether that was a hangover from the Louisville loss or a warning sign, they’ll need a much sharper showing against Boston College next week.
Virginia Tech also had to battle the elements, but the Hokies came through with a 21-14 road win over Boston College in James Franklin’s first ACC game as head coach. Pittsburgh visits next weekend in a major test.
Pitt barely had to work against Bucknell and stayed undefeated heading into October. The Panthers’ biggest challenge of the season comes Friday night against Virginia Tech.
Syracuse was off this weekend and will return to action in week five against UConn.
North Carolina also had the week off and will host Notre Dame next Saturday.
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