CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Football is finally back! Week one of the 2022 college football season certainly delivered, and for the most part, the ACC had a successful start to the new season.
Teams from the league were a combined 8-2 against non-conference opponents in week one, and adding in the week zero results, that mark gets bumped up to 10-2.
At the top of the rankings, there isn’t a ton of movement. There’s still a top tier of Clemson, Miami, NC State, Pitt and Wake Forest… then there’s everyone else. It’s early, but these are still you clear favorites in the Atlantic and Coastal divisions.
The middle of the pack and the bottom and the rankings is where you see the most movement. In fact, a couple teams in the middle have looked good out of the gates, and good threaten to crash the party on top later on down the line.
So where do things currently stand in the conference following the first week of football? Check out our week two ACC power rankings below:
1. Clemson Tigers
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 1
Week One Result: W, 41-10 at Georgia Tech
Yep, Clemson is still Clemson. At first, it looked like like we might have the same questions about the Tigers’ offense that we did last year. Then QB D.J. Uiagalelei, RB Will Shipley and Co. absolutely exploded in the second half against Georgia Tech. Not to mention that Clemson’s defense is still very much elite. Yeah, most teams will look like world-beaters against the Yellow Jackets, but it’s still a good way to start the year if Clemson wants to get back to the College Football Playoff.
2. NC State Wolfpack
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 2
Week One Result: W, 21-20 at East Carolina
NC State is clinging on to this No. 2 spot in the rankings, much like they had to hold onto victory in their game against East Carolina. ACC Preseason Player of the Year QB Devin Leary didn’t have a great game, with his late interception giving the Pirates a chance to steal a game from the Wolfpack. Had it not been for a missed extra point *and* missed field goal by ECU in the final three minutes, they would have pulled it off.
3. Pitt Panthers
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 4
Week One Result: W, 38-31 vs. West Virginia
Welcome back, Backyard Brawl. Never leave us again. Pitt might not have been perfect against West Virginia, but they delivered when it mattered most. QB Kedon Slovis and the Panthers offense put together a great fourth quarter drive, and the disruptive defense took advantage of a Mountaineers miscue to put the nail in the coffin.
4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 3
Week One Result: W, 44-10 vs. VMI
Time will tell how long Sam Hartman will remain on the sideline with an undisclosed injury, but in the interim, Wake Forest seems to still have a competitive team, taking care of business against VMI. QB Mitch Griffis looked comfortable and efficient under center, RB Christian Turner was as good as ever, and the Demon Deacons defense didn’t have any week one hiccups.
5. Miami Hurricanes
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 5
Week One Result: W, 70-13 vs. Bethune-Cookman
It’s hard to draw a lot of week one conclusions about Miami considering they were 60.5-point favorites against Bethune-Cookman, but man, the Canes sure did look good. Their ground attack in particular was the star of the show, as they combined for seven rushing touchdowns against B-C. QB Tyler Van Dyke and the Miami defense also had efficient afternoons in South Beach.
6. Florida State Seminoles
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 8
Week One Result: W, 24-23 vs. LSU (neutral)
Is Florida State finally back? It’s hard to be completely certain, but you can’t argue with results. Sure, the Noles almost blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead and needed a blocked PAT to stave off LSU. But taking down the Tigers in the Superdome, ranked or not, is no easy task. WR Ontaria Wilson and the FSU front seven sure look nasty.
7. North Carolina Tar Heels
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 7
Week One Result: W, 63-61 at Appalachian State
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UNC’s offense? Superb! UNC’s defense? Not great, Bob! QB Drake Maye absolutely looked the part for the Tar Heels, both through the air and on the ground, even without star wide receiver Josh Downs. As for the defense… head coach Mack Brown might want to have a chat with defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. App State mounted a furious comeback attempt, putting up *40* points in the fourth quarter.
8. Virginia Cavaliers
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 9
Week One Result: W, 34-17 vs. Richmond
Some billed Richmond as a trendy week one upset pick, and sure, while Virginia might not have covered the spread (-21.0), a win is a win. Brennan Armstrong, even though not at peak efficiency, had another game of over 300+ yards of offense, and the defense didn’t get completely ran over like they had all last season. A solid start to the Tony Elliott era in Charlottesville.
9. Syracuse Orange
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 11
Week One Result: W, 31-7 vs. Louisville
Head coach Dino Babers’ seat is a lot less hot than it was this time last week. Bringing over new offensive coordinator Robert Anae had promising early dividends, as star RB Sean Tucker played the part of a Heisman Trophy candidate, and QB Garrett Shrader looked like a much more proficient passer. Not to mention that the defense made QB Malik Cunningham and the dynamic Louisville offense look downright pedestrian.
10. Louisville Cardinals
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 6
Week One Result: L, 7-31 at Syracuse
Speaking of Louisville… woof. Murphy’s Law was in full effect for the Cardinals. Cunningham had one of the worst performances of his career, and the despite a whopping 18 penalties by Syracuse – most of which were on offense – the defense struggled immensely. Considering the infusion of new assistant coaches and new talent, this was a nightmare start to the season for Louisville, and one which is starting warm up the seat in which head coach Scott Satterfield sits on.
11. Boston College Eagles
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 10
Week One Result: L, 21-22 vs. Rutgers
Many believed that Boston College could be a sleeper team in the ACC, but you’re not going to make much noise in the league when you drop your first game of the year to *checks notes* … Rutgers. BC’s new O-Line couldn’t protect QB Phil Jurkovec at all, nor was he particularly efficient. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles were gashed by the Scarlet Knights’ rushing attack, even though Rutgers had next to no passing game in this matchup.
12. Duke Blue Devils
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 14
Week One Result: W, 30-0 vs. Temple
Sure, Duke wasn’t exactly playing a marquee opponent, but the Mike Elko era in Durham is off to a good start. QB Riley Leonard looks like he could be a solid signal caller in the ACC, and the Blue Devils defense held Temple to under 200 yards of offense. It was Duke’s first shutout over an FBS opponent since 1989 at UNC.
13. Virginia Tech Hokies
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 12
Week One Result: L, 17-20 at Old Dominion
Meanwhile, the Brent Pry era at Virginia Tech is off to down start. I get that Old Dominion has knocked off the Hokies before, but Tech looked incredibly sloppy. QB Grant Wells had very little command of his throws, and threw a whopping four interceptions in the process. The defense did hold the Monarchs to 245 yards, but anytime the offense gifts that many extra possessions to the other team, a fourth quarter comeback is almost inevitable.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 13
Week One Result: L, 10-41 vs. Clemson
Georgia Tech certainly made things interesting against Clemson for the first 25 minutes of their matchup. Then the Tigers started to get out of their own way on offense, and reality set in in a big way. The offense couldn’t muster much despite QB Jeff Sims’ best efforts, and the defense looked like Swiss cheese in the late stages of the game. Sure, Tech was facing the league favorites, but it could be a long, long year for the Jackets.
(Photo via Michael Longo – USA TODAY NETWORK)
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