Hokies receive a boost after wild finish in Miami week six- ACC Power Rankings
Virginia Tech was so close to making the ACC championship race interesting. But alas, Miami escaped week five with a win — perhaps with some help from the refs. Consequently, the ACC Power Rankings have changed very little from last week.
So, to get back to the second-most electric finish in college football, the Hokies looked like the team we thought they'd be at the beginning of the season: an ACC dark horse candidate. But instead of coming out of last week's game with a winning record, Virginia Tech is 2-3 with losses to Vanderbilt and Rutgers, who, with all fairness, are playing very well.
On the other hand, Miami avoided a scare after losing the turnover battle 3-1. That was the difference in the game. Nearly every stat was either even or favored the Hurricanes except turnovers, where VT outscored Miami 14-7 in points off of turnovers.
Week Six ACC Power Rankings
Rank | School | Game result | Previous rank |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Miami | W, Virginia Tech 38-34 | 1 |
2 | Clemson | W, Stanford 40-14 | 2 |
3 | Louisville | L, Notre Dame 31-34 | 3 |
4 | Boston College | W, Wester Kentucky 21-20 | 4 |
5 | Georgia Tech | BYE | 6 |
6 | SMU | W, Florida State 42-16 | 7 |
7 | Pittsburgh | BYE | 8 |
8 | Virginia Tech | L, Miami 38-34 | 9 |
9 | NC State | W, Northern Illinois 24-17 | 5 |
10 | California | BYE | 10 |
11 | Duke | W, North Carolina 21-20 | 13 |
12 | North Carolina | L, Duke 21-20 | 11 |
13 | Syracuse | W, Holly Cross 42-14 | 14 |
14 | Florida State | L, SMU 42-16 | 12 |
15 | Virginia | BYE | 15 |
16 | Stanford | L, Clemson 40-14 | 16 |
17 | Wake Forest | W, Louisiana 41-38 | 17 |
NC State was the biggest drop of the week. The Wolfpack have struggled lately, including their recent game against Northern Illinois. If you remember, the Huskies aren't your normal Group of Five team. They knocked off No. 14 Notre Dame in week one. But now, NC State is 3-2 with blowout losses to Clemson and Tennessee.
Virginia Tech and NC State feel like the same team. Except the Wolfpack have had some better luck. Both have the potential to be good teams, but they need to find consistency. Hence, their spot is right in the middle of the power rankings.