Atlantic Division:
1. Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC): The Tigers check in as the No. 3 team in the AP poll and have been as good as advertised. Redshirt senior quarterback Tajh Boyd is a Heisman Trophy candidate, throwing for nine touchdowns and running for four more, and a lockdown defense has Clemson in the national title hunt.
2. Florida State (4-0, 2-0): Freshman quarterback Jameis Winston has turned heads with his 73.6 completion percentage and 12 touchdown passes. The No. 8 Seminoles have played a weaker schedule thus far than Clemson, giving the Tigers the edge in the rankings.
3. Maryland (4-0, 0-0): It appears head coach Randy Edsall is finally turning things around in College Park. No. 25 Maryland was plagued by injuries last season but is healthy and undefeated behind dual-threat senior quarterback C.J. Brown, who has seven touchdowns through the air and six on the ground. The Terps will put their unbeaten record on the line on Saturday at Florida State.
4. N.C. State (3-1, 0-1): The Wolfpack is right where everyone expected them to be–they’ve beaten three soft non-conference opponents and fell short in its big test against Clemson. Redshirt junior quarterback Pete Thomas has thrown one touchdown and five intercpetions while stepping in for graduate student quarterback Brandon Mitchell. State will venture on the road for the first time this season on Saturday as they travel to Wake Forest, a place where they haven’t won since 2001.
5. Boston College (2-2, 1-1): BC played FSU tough for a half last Saturday but the Seminoles pulled away, escaping a potential big upset. The Eagles boast the ACC’s leading rusher in senior Andre Williams, who already has 505 yards through four games.
6. Syracuse (2-2, 0-0): One of the ACC’s two newest members has posted two lopsided wins this season, but both came against weak competition. The Orange host Clemson this weekend in its first ACC game.
7. Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2): It’s been a long season already for the Demon Deacons, who were blown out at Clemson 56-7 last weekend. They also suffered a home loss to Louisiana-Monroe earlier this season.
Coastal Division:
1. Miami (4-0, 0-0): The only Coastal team ranked in the Top 25, the No. 14 Hurricanes have looked like the Miami of old so far. Their signature is a win over SEC power Florida. They open conference play on Saturday at home against Georgia Tech.
2. Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-0): This year was predicted as a down year of sorts for the Hokies, but that has not been the case so far. Tech has reeled off four straight wins thanks to its perennially stingy defense.
3. Georgia Tech (3-1, 2-1): The Yellow Jackets flubbed an opportunity for a big win a week ago, losing 17-10 to Virginia Tech in a mistake-filled game. Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense gets another chance to make a statement in Miami on Saturday.
4. Pittsburgh (3-1, 2-1): The other ACC newcomer has won two of its first three conference games, albeit not against the class of the conference. The Panthers have won both with offense, such as their 58-55 shootout over Duke, and defense, beating Virginia 14-3 last week.
5. Virginia (2-2, 0-1): It’s been a Jekyll-Hyde season for the Cavaliers so far, as they’ve alternated wins and losses. Aside from a 59-10 loss against No. 2 Oregon, the defense has looked strong. The Cavs step out of conference on Saturday for a home date with Mid-American Conference leader Ball State.
6. Duke (3-2, 0-2): The overall record looks okay but Duke’s non-conference schedule is putrid. Redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Connette has thrown for 1022 yards and 11 touchdowns this season for Duke, who enjoys a bye this week.
7: UNC-Chapel Hill (1-3, 0-1): It’s safe to say no one saw this coming for the Tar Heels. Senior quarterback Bryn Renner has been solid but the defense has struggled mightily, giving up 32.5 points per game. The Heels were embarrassed 55-31 on their home field by East Carolina last week and up next is a trip to Virginia Tech on Saturday.
