Hootie’s Power Poll Has Virginia Ranked Higher Than Virginia Tech

We’re into Week Five of Hootie’s ACC Power Poll, ranking the 14 league teams in order of performance in our humble opinion.

If you want a lowdown on all the ACC action, reviewing last week, previewing this weekend, and the scoop on Clemson’s quarterback change, and UVa’s and Tech’s journeys to Tobacco Road, check out our audio section and look for the Ourlads ACC show with yours truly and host Greg DePalma, and some special guests who breakdown all the ACC.

Now, for this week’s Power Poll. Some of the mighty have fallen:

Rank, School, Overall record/ACC, Previous rank, Comment …

1. Clemson, 4-0/1-0 (1). It’s the Trevor Lawrence Show from here on out as Dabo (don’t care what he says about chasing ‘Bama and the rest) makes a QB change aimed at the CFP. Tigers look to avenge last year’s only regular season loss to Syracuse, but this time it’s in Death Valley.

2. Miami, 4-1/1-0 (4). The “Turnover Chain,” as gawdy as it is, got a lot of air time in Thursday night’s romp over North Carolina. The Hurricanes are now playing like everyone expected back in August.

3. N.C. State, 3-0/0-0 (5). Don’t look now but the Wolfpack own the seventh-longest active win streak in the country – five in a row. QB Ryan Finley is only the third ACC passer since 2000 to start the season with three consecutive 300-plus passing games.

4. Syracuse, 4-0/1-0 (7). We’re not convinced that the Orange are really this good, just haven’t really played anyone. Eric Dungy’s offense is scoring at a clip of 49.5 points per game, 10th-best in the country. That will end Saturday when the Orange bumps into Clemson’s defensive line, perhaps the best in the nation.

5. Boston College, 3-1/1-0 (3). Still surprised the Eagles laid an egg on their trip to the Midwest, losing a lopsided game at previously winless Purdue. Only thing I can figure out is that former Virginia All-American safety Anthony Poindexter, now defensive coordinator for the Boilermakers, came up with the perfect game plan to shut down BC. Eagles QB Anthony Brown threw four interceptions, when forced to the airways after Dex’s defense held one of the nation’s most productive running backs, A.J. Dillion, to 59 yards on 19 attempts.

6. Duke, 4-0/0-0 (9). One of four undefeated ACC teams, the Blue Devils have the fourth-longest winning streak in the nation (seven in a row). That will be tested Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium when the Hokies come to town. Where is Daniel Jones when you need him? Tech will arrive still burning from last week’s inexplicable loss at ODU.

7. Virginia, 3-1/1-0 (8). This is the Cavaliers biggest test of the season to this point. Can they pull off an upset? Can they do it on the road? A battle between the two leading offensive producers in the ACC, Finley and UVa’s Bryce Perkins (296 ypg).

8. Virginia Tech, 2-1/1-0 (2). Can the Hokies bounce back from their most humiliating loss in years? Bud Foster’s defense was burned for more than 600 yards. If that wasn’t bad enough, losing starting QB Josh Jackson for the rest of the season was. Pouring salt on the wound was Tech’s leading pass rusher was booted from the team.

9. Wake Forest, 2-2/0-1 (6). The Deacs were thumped by Notre Dame, no surprise there. Now Wake hosts Rice. I once remember the late Bill Dooley telling us writers that his Wake program was pretty good considering it was from the second-smallest (at the time) school in Division I football. Who was the smallest, we asked? “You know, it’s, uh, you know, that food school … Rice.”

10. Florida State, 2-2/0-2 (13). FSU will battle Louisville in a game that will be determined by which offense screws up the least. We’re betting that will be the Seminoles.

11. Louisville, 2-2/0-1 (11). This might be Bobby Petrino’s worst offense. However, if he can figure out a way to keep QB Juwon Pass to eliminate interceptions, he might get things straightened out. Pass does have a strong arm. It just needs to be more accurate.

12. North Carolina, 1-3/1-1 (14). After getting off the snide with a win over Pitt, the Tar Heels turned around and simply looked awful at Miami.

13. Pitt, 2-2/1-1 (10). The Panthers hit the skids in Chapel Hill. Boy, does UNC have Pitt’s number (Panthers are 0h-for-6 against the Tar Heels). It doesn’t get any better for the Pittsburgh boys. They face Central Florida and the nation’s longest winning streak this weekend.

14. Georgia Tech, 0-2/1-3 (12). Paul Johnson’s ball control offense fumbled the ball EIGHT times last week. So what if they recovered seven of them, it still disrupted the basic fundamental strength of an option offense. Probably won’t matter that much this week against Bowling Green.