The ACC finds itself in a much stronger position than anticipated in the preseason. Florida State and Georgia Tech have joined Clemson, Miami and SMU as true CFP and conference champion contenders, with a lot of parity below the leaders.
Turn to EasySportz for the best coverage of college football. Here are Big Ten’s, Big 12’s and the SEC’s Week 3 Power Rankings.
1) Miami Hurricanes (2-0): After a big win over Notre Dame in South Bend, the only sweat Miami broke against Bethune-Cookman was from the humidity, not anything the Wildcats did.
2) Florida State Seminoles (2-0): FSU posted more yards of offense and points in one half than the 2024 team did in any game. An afterthought in the preseason, the Seminoles are now #10 in the polls and rolling.
3) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-0): No Haynes King, no problem, against Gardner-Webb. The Yellow Jackets should have King back going into a showdown with Clemson.
4) Clemson Tigers (1-1): The Tigers can get back on track after their loss to LSU with a win in Atlanta against a tough Georgia Tech team.
5) Louisville Cardinals (2-0): JMU gave Louisville a game, but Issac Brown continues to make his case for being a top-3 running back in the country.
6) Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0): The Backyard Brawl against the struggling Mountaineers awaits the Panthers, who are as red-hot as it gets.
7) SMU Mustangs (1-1): SMU blew a 14-point lead late against Baylor, and now faces a tamer set of Bears in Missouri State, interestingly, on the road.
8) NC State Wolfpack (2-0): CJ Bailey is the best and most exciting quarterback in North Carolina, and he ran Virginia right back to Charlottesville.
9) Duke Blue Devils (1-1): Much like last week, Duke looked like a competitive team for a half against a ranked Illinois team…don’t ask about the second half. The Blue Devils will have their hands full on the road against Tulane.
10) California Golden Bears (2-0): Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is must-watch TV and has become the most exciting young QB in the ACC.
11) Syracuse Orange (1-1): Fran Brown got more effort from his team in the postgame sprints than he did against the UCONN Huskies.
12) Virginia Cavaliers (1-1): Hollywood Smothers (A-tier name) ran all over the Cavilers, who had no answer for NC State’s show-stopper or QB CJ Bailey.
13) Boston College Eagles (1-1): Two weeks of 40 points or more for the Eagles. If the defense can figure out it’s supposed to tackle the other team, Boston College will be a fun watch.
14) North Carolina Tar Heels (1-1): Weather delay and all, Bill Belichick gets his first UNC win at the ripe age of 73. They should roll again this week versus the Richmond Spiders.
15) Virginia Tech Hokies (0-2): The Hokies are 0-2 against SEC foes South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and Brent Pry is under pressure from a fan base that is tired of losing. Old Dominion will be no pushover this week, either.
16) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0): Demond Claiborne posted 193 yards and three touchdowns on 10 touches for the Deacs–video game stuff.
17) Stanford Cardinal (0-2): Does Andrew Luck have any eligibility left?
