Around the ACC: Week 6 – Midyear Report Cards

(Photo by Virginia Tech Athletics)

Week 6 is in the books, and for most college football teams, their seasons are half over.  Dang, those first six weeks flew by, didn’t they? 

The major storyline (other than the lack of respect for the league) has been the same for the first half of the year – Miami is the clear favorite to get to the ACC championship game.  But the rest of the field is still very much up in the air.   

As usual, the ACC could easily mean “All Chaos Conference” in the way that favored teams keep losing and preseason middle-of-the-packers are emerging as title game contenders.   

Pitt assumed that role, but a lost quarterback and a lost game to UNC leaves doubt that they can finish the job.  Wake Forest is currently the Cinderella team, but will the clock strike midnight on them?   

For Hokie Nation, ouch, it was another heartbreaking loss, another chance to win with three seconds left that came up empty.  Another game of mistakes and missed opportunity.  With a hefty back-end of the schedule, much of the 4-0 joy has turned into worry. 

Since it is midyear – and since I am a former teacher – let's take this opportunity to change things up.  Instead of the usual weekly review and commentary, let’s give out midterm grades.  Don’t worry, the opinions will still be shared! 

ACC Football
@ACCFootball

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞: Week 6 🔗 theacc.co/26FBpotwwk6 https://t.co/BK1

Virginia Tech: C+ 

Since this is a Hokie media site and I am a Hokie, of course we will start with Virginia Tech.  After four weeks, the Hokies were looking like Honor Roll students with a solid A average.  But the failures of the last two weeks have seen their grade drop like World Cup soccer players flopping to the turf. 

At 4-2, the Hokies are in a much better position than they have been in the past several seasons (under Brent Pry, they never made it out of September better than 2-3).  However, the manner in which Tech has lost both of the last two games has been concerning.  Historically typical of a Hokie team, but worrisome nonetheless. 

And as the season plays on, the big picture view is a little less optimistic than it was just two weeks ago.   

Maryland is a bad team, so hanging on to beat them 5 touchdowns to 4 is not as impressive as it was a few weeks ago.  And it appears that the struggles at Boston College were not all because of the weather.   

Add to that two very winnable games that the Hokies lost even after having a last second opportunity to erase all the mistakes for the day – well, it takes some wind out of the sails.  So does a John Love oh-for-three kicking streak.  Tech needs him back. 

Fortunately, Virginia Tech plays Georgia Tech this week and if the Hokies win, I would change this grade to a B.  However, there are still very difficult games at SMU and at Clemson at night.  The Hokies will also host Miami, and stopping that passing attack is going to be nearly impossible for this defensive secondary. 

The path to 8 wins – which I think would be a huge accomplishment in year one of James Franklin – now has become difficult and will require Tech to knock off a team who is equal to or better than them, something they just haven’t done in quite a while. 

So while there has been improvement, the Hokies have not punched above their weight class yet. And there is still plenty of same ol' same ol' thus the Hokies' midterm grade sits a little better than average.

College Football Zone
@CollegeFBonX

Week 7 ACC Power Rankings! I’ll be honest, this was one of the toughest ones. I kept going back and forth. Convince me of what I should change and why.

Miami: A 

The only debate here is if Miami is worthy of an A+.  They are 5-0 overall, 3-0 in the ACC, and ranked third in the nation.  They have outscored opponents 248-49, which averages 50-10.  If not for a few injuries, the Wake Forest game would not have been so close (and by so close, I mean 33-20, with a late goal-line interception by the ‘Canes).   

They are a machine, and if they are really “back,” then they will not have any “Miami Moments” and they will roll into the ACC title game. 

Wake Forest: A 

The #21 Demon Deacons sit at 5-1 overall and 3-1 in conference, with their only loss to Miami.  This is impressive for any team, let alone one who was picked to finish 13th in the league and whose over/under win total was around 5.  Second-year coach Jake Dickert again has his team beating expectations as he seeks consecutive 9-win seasons. 

With an offense that averages almost 37 points per game and a somewhat favorable schedule, the Deacs could reach double-digit wins, and if they beat SMU, they could end up in Charlotte for a potential rematch with Miami. 

SMU: A- 

The Mustangs lost early to Louisville, but otherwise their record is unblemished.  SMU (4-1 overall / 2-1 ACC) is ranked 24th nationally and averages almost 35 points per game.  Kevin Jennings has already thrown for 1588 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Without Miami on the schedule, they have a clear path to the ACC title game – the November 14 matchup with Wake Forest looms large right now – but SMU does have a few issues to address.   

Through five games, Jennings has thrown 5 interceptions, the team has amassed 39 penalties, the kickers have missed more field goals (4) than they have made (3), and the team has put a whopping ten footballs on the turf – fortunately, only four of those fumbles were lost, but that still adds up to 9 turnovers in 5 games.  If they want to get to Charlotte, this all needs to be cleaned up. 

Josh “Tropics” G
@TropicsCards

October 10th ACCCG odds. Miami as the clear favorite (shocker), Wake starting to pull away as the second favorite. 4-8 Is a bloodbath. Will go team by team below. *Odds are model estimates, not predictions or betting advice.*

Duke: B+ 

At 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference, Duke has a long way to go to earn a repeat berth in the ACC title game. However, when Miami basically bought Darian Mensah away from Duke in the 11th hour, the Blue Devils were left without a starting quarterback, and no one expected much from them, including Vegas who projected a 6-6 season. 

Well, here they are with 7 games remaining and they only need to win 2 to match those expectations.  Duke still has Miami and Wake Forest on the schedule, but the remaining games are winnable since they are against the rest of the ACC and anything can and will happen in this league from week to week! 

Pittsburgh: B+ 

This should be an A, right?  It would be had the Panthers not lost at home to UNC this past weekend.  Still, 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference is a good start.   

But the Panthers have yet to play Miami, and with their starting quarterback out for the year, it will be a slugfest from week to week with this team.  They could finish 10-2, but it feels more like 8-4.  That’s not a bad year, especially given the circumstances. 

Clemson: B 

Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney seem to be the lightning rod of the ACC when it comes to media scrutiny, but here they are sitting at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.  Sure, the Tigers were blown out against LSU and Miami – most teams have been - but otherwise Clemson has taken care of business.   

There are no more ranked teams on the Tigers’ schedule, so the opportunity is certainly there to make statement – and a run at the ACC championship game.  Don’t count them out just yet. 

North Carolina: B 

People love to poke fun at Bill Belichick, and behind the scenes, UNC has no doubt been a circus.  However, the Tar Heels are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference.  They sit at +8.6 in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) (https://www.espn.com/college-football/fpi/_/group/1), good for 5th in the ACC and 39th nationally.  

Their losses are by 8 points at Clemson (in that crazy weather delayed game) and by 11 points at Notre Dame.  This team is competitive.  They have shown progress since last year.  UNC on the schedule is not a gimme. I’m not declaring the Belichick experiment a success just yet, but I wouldn’t exactly be excited to play them right now.  

Cal: B- 

After all the offseason turnover on the staff and on the roster, expectations for the 2026 Cal team were middle of the pack at best, even with the retention of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.  JKS has not been great, though, and they did lose to UNLV. But they did beat Virginia Tech with a backup quarterback and other key players missing.  

At 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference, they are right where they were predicted to be.  Although Cal has consecutive games against ranked opponents in the upcoming weeks, they do close with four “winnable” ACC games and could find themselves bowling again. 

Virginia: B- 

The Cavaliers looked impressive in their opener against NC State.  Then they did what FBS should do against FCS when they steamrolled Norfolk State.  However, UVa’s first challenge was a failure in their loss to West Virginia, then they were beaten soundly at Florida State.  And last week we saw a narrow escape over a not-so-good Syracuse team.  So although the Cavaliers are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, they have not looked good against their last three P4 opponents.   

Louisville: C+ 

Louisville is that smart kid in class who likes to cause trouble.  You know the one, he is very bright but “doesn’t work to his potential” is often mentioned by his teachers. 

The Cardinals are good, but their record does not show just how good they can be.  With an FPI ranking of plus-12.7, which is good for 24th nationally, they can be explosive (39.5 points per game), which they were in their victories over Florida State and SMU.   

However, they have a head-scratching loss at North Carolina State, and with defeats at the hands of Ole Miss and Wake Forest, Louisville sits at just 3-3 overall and 2-2 in conference.  That’s a tad disappointing for a team who was mentioned as a playoff dark horse. 

Florida State: C 

Like the student who is great in class but does no homework, Florida State is very tough at home but miserable on the road.  The Seminoles have shown some spunk, but they have been a disaster away from Doak Campbell stadium for the third straight year.   

At 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, it feels like FSU is just spinning their wheels.  Their road woes make me think 6-6 is their ceiling.  Anything less will result in a third straight year with a losing record.  With FSU’s massive debt, this could be a very intriguing winter in Tallahassee. 

Boston College: C 

I give them props.  Vegas thought the Eagles would finish with 3 or 4 wins, and they are already halfway there (2-3 overall / 0-2 ACC).  More importantly, BC is scrappy.  They struggle to score (19 points per game), but they don’t go down without a fight.  Like that hard-working student who does all the work but just cannot get better than 75 on a test, though, the report card has to reflect the numbers and not just the effort. 

North Carolina State: C 

This team is an enigma.  They were not competitive in the opening loss at Virginia.  They lost on an unthinkable fumble in their own endzone on the last play at Vanderbilt.  But then they beat Louisville.  The Wolfpack is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference.  Their FPI is +0.9 (66 nationally, 13 in ACC), which basically predicts that they will beat an average team by one point in a neutral site.  That sounds like a solid C grade. 

Georgia Tech: C- 

The Yellow Jackets are 2-3 (1-1 ACC), but a close look at their schedule leaves many doubting if this team can make a bowl.  A narrow victory over Duke this past weekend gives the GT faithful some hope, but home losses to Colorado and Tennessee (a blowout) and a road loss at Stanford are failing grades on this report card.   

Stanford: D+ 

If they didn’t beat Georgia Tech, this would be a D-.  Stanford is 2-4 (1-3 ACC) with an FPI of –11.7.  That is dead last in the ACC and 110th nationally.  They have one score in each of their four losses.  The Cardinal are struggling. 

Syracuse: D 

Fran Brown’s team is also underachieving.  They are in the ACC basement (0-3) and only have wins over FCS New Hampshire and G6 UConn (a one-point overtime victory).  Their +1.1 FPI ranking (63 nationally, 12 ACC) suggests they should be slightly better than middle of the pack.  However, like the student who failed every test, it is not possible to reward them with a passing grade right now.  

The off-season
@TheOffSeasonCFB

ACC Standings through week 5

Looking Ahead to Week 7 

Will it be another week of chaos?  Or can the favorites take care of business?  The action starts Friday night at prime time, and the Saturday slate is full.  Here are the conference matchups: 

• Virginia at SMU – Another P4 struggle in store for UVa?  Will SMU clean things up and outlast the Cavs? 

• Pitt at BC – Will probably result in more injuries than touchdowns this weekend in Chestnut Hill. 

• Tech at Tech – Bad news for the loser of this game in Blacksburg. 

• Florida State at Miami – Seminoles haven’t won a road game since November of 2023. That streak will continue. 

• Louisville at Syracuse – Should be a dub for the Cardinals, but weird things happen in that dome. 

• Wake Forest at Cal – Can the Golden Bears drum up some luck with their Grateful Dead helmets?  Or will Wake keep on truckin’? 

If you have questions about any of these grades or comments, you can kindly request a fan-teacher conference. 

Go Hokies!