ACC power rankings: Miami, Clemson stay on top, North Carolina, NC State fall after Week 4

If it still felt surreal that the ACC’s membership includes Cal and Stanford, rival schools that are each about 3,000 miles away of their new conference’s namesake Atlantic Coast, Week 4 of the college football season gave fans their first dose of that new reality.

The Cardinal and Golden Bears both had their ACC debuts in Week 4, with Stanford going on the road and surprisingly knocking off undefeated Syracuse. Cal also fell just shy of a road victory against previously winless Florida State, which put a temporary halt to the Seminoles’ nightmarish first month of the season.

Beyond that, several teams continued unbeaten starts and others showed cracks that have become impossible to ignore.

Here’s how the ACC’s 17 teams stack up after Week 4:

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1. Miami (4-0)

• Last week: 1

• This week: vs. Virginia Tech

Cam Ward and the Hurricanes remain the class of the conference after racing past South Florida 50-15. After leading the Bulls by just a touchdown at halftime, Miami outscored them 28-0 in the second half and outgained them by a 338-143 margin.

2. Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

• Last week: 2

• This week: vs. Stanford

Dabo Swinney’s Tigers continued what has been a dominant run since a humbling season-opening loss to Georgia. Clemson thumped NC State 59-35 in its ACC opener, a game it led by 45 in the middle of the third quarter before taking its foot off the gas. The Tigers have outscored their past two opponents by a 125-55 margin.

3. Louisville (3-0, 1-0)

• Last week: 3

• This week: at No. 14 Notre Dame

The Cardinals’ 2-0 start came with the caveat that they had gotten there by beating up on FCS and languishing Group of Five opponents. That qualifier is no longer necessary after a 31-19 win against Georgia Tech, a game in which Jeff Brohm’s defense and special teams each accounted for a touchdown.

4. Boston College (3-1, 1-0)

• Last week: 5

• This week: vs. Western Kentucky

Thomas Castellanos worked his magic in a pivotal moment, throwing a game-winning 42-yard touchdown to Lewis Bond with 88 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 23-19 win over an improved Michigan State team in the annual Red Bandanna Game. Boston College now has two Power Four wins.

5. Pitt (4-0)

• Last week: 7

• This week: BYE

The Panthers averaged 48.5 points per game in their four non-conference contests, with transfer quarterback Eli Holstein throwing for 1,183 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. With one weekend still remaining in September, coach Pat Narduzzi’s team has already surpassed its win total from last season.

6. Syracuse (2-1, 1-1)

• Last week: 4

• This week: vs. Holy Cross

The Orange’s 2-0 start under new coach Fran Brown raised many eyebrows across the ACC, but its 26-24 home loss to Stanford last Friday showed there’s still work to do. Syracuse was gashed on the ground by the Cardinal’s Chris Davis Jr. and Micah Ford, who combined for 126 yards on just 17 carries.

7. Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2)

• Last week: 6

• This week: BYE

For the first time under coach Brent Key, the Yellow Jackets lost to a ranked ACC opponent, falling 31-19 at No. 17 Louisville in a game in which they actually outgained the Cardinals 410-326. They were undone by a couple of plays, though, with a Haynes King failed backwards pass and a blocked field goal attempt both getting returned for touchdowns.

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8. Duke (4-0)

• Last week: 11

• This week: vs. North Carolina

After scoring exactly 26 points in each of their first three games, the Blue Devils exploded for 45 points in a 28-point win at Middle Tennessee State. A win next week would not only exponentially increase rival North Carolina’s already mounting misery, but also would result in Duke’s first 5-0 start since 1994.

9. SMU (3-1)

• Last week: 13

• This week: vs. Florida State

The Mustangs looked about as impressive as they possibly could have in their first game with quarterback Kevin Jennings as the team’s solidified starter, blowing out former coach Sonny Dykes and rival TCU behind touchdowns off an interception, a recovered fumble and a punt return. Their ACC debut against Florida State awaits next week.

10. Stanford (2-1, 1-0)

• Last week: 14

• This week: at No. 15 Clemson

Between its 3-9 record last season and an early-season home loss to TCU, it was easy to write the Cardinal off in broader evaluations of the ACC. That’s not the case anymore. An 11-play, 54-yard drive that included a successful fourth-and-9 conversion set up a game-winning 39-yard field goal from Emmet Kenney to give Stanford a win over Syracuse in its first-ever ACC game.

11. Cal (3-1, 0-1)

• Last week: 10

• This week: BYE

The Golden Bears had no shortage of opportunities to push Florida State to a previously unimaginable 0-4 start, but despite outgaining the Seminoles by a 410-284 margin, Cal was undone by its own mistakes, namely 10 penalties. Because of that, social media’s new favorite team was unable to turn Doak Campbell Stadium into Woke Campbell Stadium.

12. Virginia (3-1, 1-0)

• Last week: 15

• This week: BYE

Though they entered the season with relatively low expectations, the Cavaliers have put together a solid resume that’s now highlighted by a 43-24 road win against a previously undefeated Coastal Carolina team. Xavier Brown was the catalyst of the victory, running for 171 yards on just nine carries.

13. North Carolina (3-1)

• Last week: 9

• This week: at Duke

Porous defenses have been a staple of Mack Brown’s second stint with the Tar Heels, but even when measured against that low bar, last Saturday’s 70-50 loss to James Madison was particularly unsightly. In a performance that prompted Brown to refute chatter he was stepping down as coach, North Carolina tied the most points it had ever allowed in a game, a total that included an astonishing 53 points surrendered in the first half.

14. NC State (2-2, 0-1)

• Last week: 8

• This week: vs. Northern Illinois

One third of the way through the regular season, the Wolfpack has two wins — against an FCS opponent and a 1-2 Conference USA team — and two losses to Power Four opponents that have been decided by a combined 65 points. Last Saturday’s 59-35 loss at Clemson wasn’t even that close, with Dave Doeren’s team trailing 59-14 at the end of the third quarter.

15. Virginia Tech (2-2)

• Last week: 12

• This week: at No. 9 Miami

There’s nothing shameful about losing to a hard-nosed Rutgers team, but the Hokies’ 26-23 loss at Lane Stadium was marred by three turnovers, the last of which, a Kyron Drones interception, effectively ended the game. Virginia Tech is now 0-2 against Power Four opponents, with a game against Miami next.

16. Florida State (1-3, 1-2)

• Last week: 16

• This week: at SMU

A win is a win, especially when it’s the first one of the season. The Seminoles were still gripped by some of the same problems that plagued them in their first three losses — especially offensively, with Florida State putting up just 284 yards — but pulling out a 14-9 win against Cal helped them avoid an even more disastrous start to the season.

17. Wake Forest (1-2, 0-1)

• Last week: 17

• This week: vs. Louisiana

The Demon Deacons were the lone ACC team on a bye last week. They’ll look to get their second win of the season Saturday against a Louisiana team that only lost to Tulane by eight.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ACC power rankings: North Carolina, NC State fall hard after Week 4