Clemson dominates #19 Marshall 24-14

Week 1 of the Season passed and the ACC absolutely dominated as they went 8-2 in OOC Play. Headlined by Georgia Tech, NC State, and Clemson all defeating Ranked Opponents although we have seen how inaccurate those can be this early. So let’s get into ranking them.

1. Clemson, +7 from last week, defeated #19 Marshall 24-14– Clemson decided to go with the great versions of themselves in one of the most impressive performances as they controlled the entire game against Marshall and showed that they can play with the best of the best and get revenge for last season’s Battle at Bristol. They travel to Boise State this week and look to not have a letdown.

2. Georgia Tech, -1, defeated #25 Penn State 49-42– In one of the most exciting games of the week Georgia Tech and Penn State traded blows but Georgia Tech got the last laugh. Defense has to be a concern for the Yellow Jackets as this isn’t the typical defensive performance from the Coach. They don’t get a break either as they face NC State in a potential ACC Championship Preview.

3. NC State, -1, defeated #21 SMU 28-10– NC State welcomed SMU’s coach to the FBS in a dominant defensive performance holding SMU to only 10 points. Took care of business but now faces Georgia Tech in a Top 10 showdown that will set the Tone of the ACC Season.

4. Duke, -1, defeated Arkansas 56-39– Duke’s offensive explosion continues here as they put up 56 against Arkansas; however, their defensive woes are still concerning as the offense will have a letdown at some point sooner or later. They kick off ACC Play as they travel to Pitt this week.

5. Virginia Tech, 0, defeated Alabama 31-28– Virginia Tech kicked off its season with a thriller against Alabama as they held on just as Alabama nearly broke free on the final play of the game but he was brought down before that could happen. Another close game for Coach Jake Johnson as in his 27 games in FCFB, 14 have been decided by 7 or less points. They travel to Morgantown this week as they take on bitter rival West Virginia for the Black Diamond Trophy.

6. North Carolina, 0, defeated Boise State 31-29– UNC survived in the final seconds as they stopped Boise on a 2 point conversion in the final minute of the game. They go from the defending MWC Champs to one of the worst teams in the ACC in Miami this week.

7. Virginia, 0, defeated Ole Miss 45-42– Virginia also won in a very exciting contest against Ole Miss as they hit a 36 yard field goal in the Final Seconds to move to 1-0 on the young season. They aren’t going to be able to win too many games giving up 42 points but a win is a win. They travel to Wyoming this week in another OOC game.

8. Boston College, -4, defeated Wake Forest 45-38 in OT– Boston College was trailing against Wake 28-7 with 1:45 in the half. I had the 2nd half BC memes ready….but Boston College realized this was the 1st half of the season and came all the way back and moved to 1-0 in ACC in the only OT game of the week. Lots of bad here…can’t go down 28-7 to Wake Forest…can’t. BUT, they did comeback which is also says something as well. They can’t turn in this type of performance against the Top teams in the ACC. They host Indiana this week in what should be an offensive battle.

9. Syracuse, 0, defeated Pittsburgh 28-14– In a very uninteresting game Syracuse took care of business against Pitt in unsurprising fashion. Not a whole lot to say here as this was the expected result of the game. They travel to face Maryland this week in a game that will tell us a little more about this Syracuse team.

10. Florida State, +1, defeated USF 37-35– Another game decided by a last second field goal as FSU knocked off in-state foe USF on a 28 yard field goal in the final 20 seconds. Good start to the season for them but way too early to tell if they can compete for an ACC Title. They face off against Georgia State this week where FSU need to keep up the momentum.

11. Wake Forest, -1, lost 45-38 to Boston College in OT- Talk about a painful way to start the season. Holding a 21 point lead over one of the contenders in the ACC and then just blow it and lose in overtime. It will be telling how this team plays next week. Will they use this game as a learning tool and bounce back or will they collapse wondering “What If”? We will figure out as they host Eastern Michigan this week.

12. Miami, +1, lost 35-15 to Miami (OH)– In the Battle of Miami’s, Miami (OH) showed why they were a Top 25 team last season and Miami (FL) showed why they were one of the worst teams in the ACC as Miami (OH) dominated this game as was expected.

13. Pittsburgh, -1, lost 28-14 to Syracuse– This most certainly isn’t the team that was ACC Champs and #1 in the Nation last year but we already knew that and this game just solidified that belief as they were outplayed by Syracuse. They stay at home and in the ACC as they face Duke this week.

14. Louisville, 0, lost 31-14 to Indiana– Once again the Coach of Louisville is last here in the ACC Power Rankings. This is now the 11th week in a row this coach has been here at last place in the ACC Power Rankings making my job 1/14th easier each week for months now. So thanks for that. They hit the road again as they take on Air Force and try to change their fortunes.