Miami, having won the Florida state championship with a 28-22 win over Florida State –trust me, the game was not that close – moved to #2 in the national rankings this week.
The Hurricanes earlier this season destroyed Florida, 26-7. While Central Florida technically plays big-boy football, for now all that matters in the Sunshine State is the big three of Miami, FSU and Florida.
The folks down in Charlotte – I still think the ACC headquarters belongs in Greensboro – must be grinning from ear-to-ear with four teams landing in this week’s AP Top 25.
After Miami at #2, Georgia Tech follows at #13, Virginia #19, and somehow Florida State managed to hang in the rankings at #25.
The Yellow Jackets have started the ACC season 3-0 and are coming off a bye week as they host Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Virginia, also 3-0, has a bye this weekend. The Cavaliers won their second straight overtime game against Louisville last Saturday.
More trouble in Chapel Hill
Remember all the intrigue surrounding UNC Football heading into the 2025 season?
Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick is leading UNC on the gridiron following his 24 years as head coach of the New England Patriots.
What could possibly go wrong?
Through five games, plenty. And things keep getting worse.
The three losses have been nothing but embarrassments for UNC.
The latest, a 38-10 pasting by Clemson, was 35-3 at halftime.
And now this: earlier this year, Hulu announced a documentary series on UNC Football, following the program behind the scenes throughout the year to watch the Belichick experiment.
Tuesday, Hula announced the series would be cancelled.
I’m disappointed; I was looking forward to watching the circus in Chapel Hill in all its glory.
New conference schedules cause another cancellation
South Carolina and Miami have mutually agreed to cancel the home-and-home series scheduled for the 2026 and 2027 football seasons.
Both the ACC and SEC are moving to nine-game conference schedules beginning next season, limiting the number of nonconference opponents per season to three.
South Carolina has a nonconference game next year at home with Towson, and is reportingly replacing Miami with The Citadel.
The Gamecocks will face Clemson next season as well.
Miami’s three nonconference games next season will be home games with Florida A&M and Central Michigan and a road game at Notre Dame.
High school recruiting still matters
I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about how the transfer portal has or will replace the old school method of high school recruiting as a way for schools to build football programs.
I never believed it would, and I’m more convinced than ever after what true-freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel did Saturday for the Pitt Panthers.
Heintschel, in his first college start, sliced up Boston College, throwing four touchdown passes in Pitt’s 48-7 blowout.
He was rewarded with ACC Rookie of the Week honors Monday.
Heintschel was 30-of-41 passing for 323 yards and was the Panthers’ first true freshman to win his first career start since Kenny Pickett in 2017.
Pickett, now that name rings a bell.
Week 7 ACC Power Rankings
- Miami
- Virginia
- Georgia Tech
- Duke
- SMU
- Louisville
- Pittsburgh
- Florida State
- Cal
- Clemson
- Syracuse
- NC State
- Wake Forest
- Virginia Tech
- Stanford
- Boston College
- North Carolina
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