After Pitt's narrow defeat of the Youngstown State Penguins, the team moved down in the rankings because of the Penguins' second half comeback. (Photo by Anna Bongardino | Assistant Visual Editor)
After week one of the college football season, there’s already a shake-up at the top of our standings: top-ranked Florida State lost to No.1 Alabama and lost quarterback Deondre Francois for the season.
As for Pitt, it moved down one spot after the nail-biting overtime win against the Youngstown Penguins Saturday afternoon. In total, 10 of the ACC’s 14 teams won their opening week game and look to build on that momentum moving forward.
Here are the TPN Sports Staff’s ACC power rankings heading into week two of play:
The Tigers started the national title defense with a 56-3 demolition of Kent State. Sure, the win came against a non-Power Five opponent, but new quarterback Kelly Bryant looked strong despite throwing an interception in the second quarter.
Next Up: No. 13 Auburn
Losing to Alabama is nothing to be ashamed of, but the season-ending injury for Francois definitely casts uncertainty on the rest of the season. Coach Jimbo Fisher will now turn to freshman quarterback James Blackman in the hope that the team can work its way back into playoff contention.
Next Up: Louisiana Monroe
The Hurricanes got off to a successful start in week one, easily handling Bethune-Cookman 41-13. They’ll have another easy game this week before competition takes a step up in week three when the team takes on Florida State.
Next Up: Arkansas State
The Cardinals fell behind early in the opening-week matchup against Purdue, but they were able to rally late and escape with a 35-28 win. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson was superb, throwing for 378 yards and two touchdowns.
Next Up: North Carolina
In one of the more exciting games of college football’s opening weekend, the Hokies beat the West Virginia Mountaineers in a 31-24 thriller. With less than 30 seconds remaining, West Virginia had a chance to tie the game from the Hokies’ 15-yard line. Instead, two straight incompletions gave the Hokies their first win of the season.
Next Up: Delaware
The Yellow Jackets came up just short in their opening-week clash against No. 25 Tennessee, losing 42-41 in double overtime. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall was outstanding for the team, though, rushing for 249 yards and five touchdowns.
Next Up: Jacksonville State
In one of three ACC-SEC matchups of the weekend, the Wolfpack was beaten by rival South Carolina to start the year 0-1. NC State’s competition lets up the next few weeks, so the group should be able to recover in time for conference play.
Next Up: Marshall
After jumping out to a 21-0 lead at the half, Pitt was forced to hang on in overtime against Youngstown State, winning 28-21. Quarterback Max Browne was competent, but he’ll need to be much better going forward if the team hopes to compete in the Coastal Division.
Next Up: No. 4 Penn State
The Orange, on the other hand, dominated the FCS competition Friday night, cruising to a 50-7 win over Central Connecticut State. The group faces two more non-Power Five teams in the next two weeks before competition takes a drastic step up in week four.
Next Up: Middle Tennessee
The Blue Devils also took care of business against a lesser opponent, beating North Carolina Central 60-7. Quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns and looked the part in the opener.
Next Up: Northwestern
North Carolina slides down a few spots in our rankings after coming up short against California, 35-30. The team’s defense, a strong point last year, was the main factor in the loss, allowing 469 yards on the day.
Next Up: No. 17 Louisville
Wake Forest crushed Presbyterian Thursday night, cruising to a 51-7 victory. ACC play starts next week, providing the Demon Deacons with their first true test of the season.
Next Up: Boston College
The Eagles hung on over the weekend to claim their first win of the year against Northern Illinois, 23-20. The offense seemed to be a problem in the win — quarterback Anthony Brown completed just 26 of 42 passes — but it was good enough to get by this week.
Next Up: Wake Forest
Coming off a 2-10 season, the Cavaliers opened the 2017 season with a win, beating William and Mary 28-10. The team’s defense shined in the win, allowing just 63 yards through the air.
Next Up: Indiana
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