ACC Teams Dropping Like Flies

The preseason polls are generally overlooked by many college football fans for a number of reasons. The media is awarding teams without having played a down, which can be either hit or miss. They usually give an unworthy team a lofty ranking based on how they did last year, or they may not get any votes because they hadn't been relevant for the last few seasons. In the ACC's case, five teams were ranked in the top 20 heading into week one. Now, after the second week of the season, only one of those teams remains, with Miami sitting at number 17 in both the AP and USA Today Coach's polls.

The other four teams that were ranked in the top 20 before the season started haven't exactly performed up to standards. Virginia Tech started the season at number 10, the highest ranked of the ACC teams, and picked by pretty much everyone to win the conference this year. They lost to Boise State at FedEx Field in a close and exciting game, nothing they could be too mad about. This past weekend, though, was a different story. Playing at home, Tech found a way to lose to FCS opponent James Madison 21-16, dropping them to 0-2 and forcing people to question whether to not they'll represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl.

Georgia Tech started the season ranked number 16 and now also finds themselves without a number next to their name on the scoreboards. Winning big over South Carolina State was no problem in the opener, even though quarterback Josh Nesbitt completed as many passes to his own team as he did the defense (1). Week two saw the Yellow Jackets travel to Lawrence, Kansas to play the Jayhawks, who had lost to North Dakota State 6-3 in their opener, causing many to write their season off from the get-go. Kansas jumped out to an early lead, and was able to hold on for a 28-25 win, shocking Georgia Tech with the upset.

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Despite the near comeback against LSU in the opener, North Carolina just wasn't able to pull it off. They dropped from the rankings after that loss, and had a bye this past week to mull it over, as well as look ahead to their conference opener with Georgia Tech. In what was probably billed as one of the better early conference games in during the offseason, a 1-1 Georgia Tech against an 0-1 UNC just doesn't hold the same weight as two top 15 teams playing against each other to start off their ACC seasons.

The Jimbo Fisher era started off on a high note for Florida State, as the Seminoles stomped on Samford to a tune of 59-6. Week two brought a little tougher of a test, a trip to Norman to face the Sooners, and the Seminoles did not pass by any means. A 47-17 loss gave FSU a wake up call as well as their first loss and stripping them of their ranking. Despite being 1-1 also, Miami held onto their top 25 position by putting up a much better fight than FSU did, only falling to #2 Ohio State by 12, and showing some promise that they can actually compete with the big boys of college football.

Some will say “I told you so” when it comes to the ACC and football. It has been down in recent years, but we'll see how it turns around with conference play starting up this week and hope for the best.

By: Matt Dagen
DFN Sports Staff Writer