ACC roundup: First month of college football points to a competitive league race

The first five weeks of NCAA football have given a strong look at where teams currently stand. The Blue Zone dives into the performance of ACC teams relative to their preseason expectations:

The ACC collectively has been off to a strong start to the season. The conference currently houses four teams ranked within the AP poll and four teams that remain undefeated. However, the teams upholding this reputation do not exactly correspond with what was anticipated in August. 

Duke

The ACC preseason media poll had Duke finishing tied for sixth in the league. The Blue Devils have already exceeded expectations after upsetting then-No. 9 Clemson in their season opener. The team has since won three out of four games, losing only to then-No. 11 Notre Dame in a nailbiter that came down to the last minutes of the game. 

A highlight of this season’s Duke squad has been the remarkable defense. The Blue Devils have given up only 56 points thus far, six more than Miami, who has given up the least points in the conference. Junior quarterback Riley Leonard has also been impressive, leading the team in rushing yards with 326 while also throwing for 912 yards through the first five weeks. Unfortunately for Duke, Leonard left Saturday’s matchup against the Fighting Irish with a high ankle sprain. 

The Blue Devils are currently tied for third in the conference with a 1-0 record while holding the No. 19 spot in the AP poll. They are set to play N.C. State in two weeks for their second conference game of the season. 

Clemson

In August, preseason No. 9 Clemson was the favorite to repeat for the ACC title. However, in the Tigers’ season opener against Duke, Clemson fell 28-7 as it failed to crack Duke’s defense. The team has since lost in Death Valley against Florida State, leaving its only conference win a 31-14 victory against Syracuse. The unranked Tigers now sit at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in conference.

Regardless, the Seminoles have not looked invulnerable — the squad only beat a struggling Boston College team by three points after late-game defensive slippages allowed the Eagles to score 13 in the fourth. Although it has not faltered so far, there remains a strong schedule ahead to continue testing Florida State. Critical conference matchups against No. 19 Duke and No. 17 Miami will challenge the Seminoles to maintain their undefeated conference record. 

Louisville

The Cardinals were expected by many to be a prospective dark horse contender in the conference. They have been up to a flaming hot start this year, boasting a 3-0 conference record and a 5-0 overall record. Senior quarterback Jack Plummer has demonstrated strong passing ability with 1,406 yards on the season. When he and the rest of the offense haven’t been able to get going, the defense has stepped up and led the team in low-scoring slugfests against N.C. State and Indiana. 

While the Cardinals have found early success, their strength of schedule has been notably weak without a ranked win thus far. Hosting No. 10 Notre Dame this weekend, Louisville will need to take things up a notch if it hopes to hold on to its newly earned No. 25 place in the AP poll. 

Miami

After a disappointing 5-7 season last year, the Hurricanes hope to bounce back to their former glory. While the Hurricanes have yet to play an ACC team, they are off to a strong start with four straight wins and an impressive ratio of 175 total points scored to 50 points allowed. The high-powered offense is the product of junior quarterback Tyler Van Dyke who put Miami on the national radar after defeating then-No. 23 Texas A&M in a game where he threw for 374 yards. 

Scoring is further driven by running back Henry Parrish Jr. who has 331 rushing yards on the season, as well as a receiving core of Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George and Colbie Young. These receivers have all gone for over 200 yards while collectively averaging 14.3 yards per reception. 

The Hurricanes currently rank 17th in the AP poll and are set for their first conference matchup against Georgia Tech this weekend.

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh was picked to finish tied with Duke in the conference according to the ACC preseason media poll. However, the Panthers have struggled considerably so far, going 1-4 in their first five, including conference losses to then-No.17 North Carolina and Virginia Tech. In these losses, Pittsburgh's defense has struggled, giving up 123 points. This underachievement to start the season is a result of untimely injuries to the offensive line and a defense that simply cannot stop the run game. These failures have resulted in the Panthers ranking as the biggest underachievers in college football, per ESPN's SP+ rankings. 

It is still too early to closely examine the exact current standings in the ACC — only three teams have played three games in the conference. Nevertheless, the performances of ACC teams overall through these first five weeks could be a strong indicator of what is looking to be a competitive fight for the conference title. 

Current ACC standings

1. Louisville (5-0, 3-0)
2. Florida State (4-0, 2-0)
3. North Carolina (4-0, 1-0)
4. Duke (4-1, 1-0)
5. Virginia Tech (2-3, 1-0)
6. N.C. State (3-2, 1-1)
7. Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1)
8. Clemson (3-2, 1-2)
9. Boston College (2-3, 1-2)
10. Miami (4-0, 0-0)
11. Syracuse (4-1, 0-1)
12. Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1)
13. Pittsburgh (1-4, 0-2)
14. Virginia (0-5, 0-3)