ACC Football Power Rankings: Whose stock went up, whose went down, after wild Week 1?

There were some close calls and an inexplicable loss, but generally speaking, the ACC had a good start to the 2022 football season.

Virginia Tech’s second consecutive loss at Old Dominion was the lowlight, rivaled by Boston College’s loss to Big Ten bottom-feeder Rutgers.

NC State and North Carolina both needed miracles to escape with wins against lesser in-state foes, while Florida State and Pitt sparkled in primetime wins over LSU and West Virginia.

There might not have been a conference in the country that delivered more improbable finishes than the ACC. The weekend started early Thursday in Pittsburgh, as the Panthers pulled out a win over West Virginia with a game-winning pick-six.

And Friday night, the nightmare in Norfolk happened to the Hokies. Saturday the chaos continued for the Wolfpack and Tar Heels on the road at in-state Group of Five teams Appalachian State and East Carolina.

Clemson and Miami remained atop of their divisions as both teams recorded lopsided victories to begin the year. The other games did result in a bit of a change in this week’s ACC power rankings.

Atlantic Division

1. Clemson: Clemson is still Clemson. After a sluggish first half against Georgia Tech, the Tigers offense exploded in the second half. While the offense may have struggled, the Tiger defense is elite.
2. NC State: State clings to the second spot much like they had to hold onto victory in their win over East Carolina. ACC preseason Player of the Year QB Devin Leary had some late-game interceptions that gave the Pirates a shot at the upset.
3. Wake Forest: The Deacons did not need star quarterback Sam Hartman in their 44-10 win over VMI. Backup QB Mitch Griffis was solid in the win over the Keydets.
4. Florida State: Is FSU back, or is LSU bad? With just one game, it is hard to tell. But unquestionably, it was embattled head coach Mike Norvell’s biggest win in Tallahassee. But the Seminoles almost blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead, and needed a blocked PAT to survive.
5. Syracuse: The seat for Syracuse head coach Dino Babers is a lot less warm than it was this time a week ago. Syracuse blasted Louisville, 31-7, led by new offensive coordinator Robert Anae.
6. Louisville: Not a good start for the Cardinals. Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield now occupies the hottest coaching seat in the league. And it was a day to forget for UL signal-caller Malik Cunningham.
7. Boston College: A sleeper team for many in the ACC. But a weak offensive line that showed that could not protect Eagle QB Phil Jurkovec against Rutgers could put the Eagles to sleep early this season.

Coastal Division

1. Miami: It is impossible to draw a lot of conclusions about Miami considering they were a 60.5-point favorite over Bethune-Cookman. Star QB Tyler Van Dyke practically had the game off, as the Hurricanes running game accounted for seven touchdowns.
2. North Carolina: UNC gets the No. 2 spot because there is simply not much behind the Tar Heels in the Coastal Division, for now. UNC’s offense is dynamic, UNC’s defense is … bad. Head coach Mack Brown brought in Gene Chizik over the off season to shore up the defense. May have been some interesting talk between Brown and Chizik after giving up 40 points in the fourth quarter to Appy State.
3. Pitt: The Backyard Brawl is back. Pitt was not perfect against West Virginia, but delivered when it counted. New Pitt QB Kedon Slovis guided an impressive fourth quarter drive, and a disruptive Panther defense took advantage of numerous WVU miscues.
4. Virginia: The Cavaliers did as expected on Saturday, dispatching Richmond 34-17 in head coach Tony Elliott’s coaching debut. Virginia led at half 28-10 and traded second half scores with the Spiders. Virginia used a balanced attack, 42 running plays, 33 passes.
5. Duke: The Blue Devils began the Mike Elko era with a 30-0 win over Temple. For Duke, it was an impressive win against a less-than-stellar opponent. This week’s game with Northwestern will offer a better look at this Duke team.
6. Georgia Tech: GT made things interesting against Clemson for about a half, before the Tigers started correcting some mistakes. A good effort for Yellow Jacket QB Jeff Sims, but a collapse by the Yellow Jacket defense proved lethal. It could be another long season in Atlanta.
7. Virginia Tech: The Brent Pry regime could not have started worse. Tech looked sloppy in all facets of the game. QB Grant Wells had little command of his throws, throwing four interceptions. Overall, the Hokies had five turnovers.