It’s easy to look at Miami’s upset of Florida and give more kudos to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
If you do that, you’re looking past the fact that two other teams playing nationally ranked opponents didn’t fare nearly as well.
But Miami’s mission was accomplished by defeating Florida, so if the Hurricanes can re-emerge on the national stage it will bolster the ACC’s credibility in a way that was expected when the Hurricanes joined the league.
Miami is still a marquee name in college football despite the fact that the Hurricanes have never even played in the ACC championship game. Miami hasn’t been able to refuel without glitches and so it’s a process for the Hurricanes.
“We couldn’t handle this moment a year ago,” coach Al Golden said after defeating Florida21-16 in Miami.
For now, Miami winning a big game still seems a little out of kilter. When it becomes easily accepted, then we’ll know the Hurricanes are truly back.
The other games for ACC teams against ranked foes were disasters. Virginia lost at home to Oregon, while Syracuse fell at Northwestern.
So keeping a tally, those results go with North Carolina’s loss to South Carolina along with Virginia Tech’s setback against Alabama in the first week. Of course, Clemson’s toppling of Georgia was a result coveted by the ACC on the opening weekend.
FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 2 IN THE ACC
1. Add Miami to the list of ACC teams who might merit national attention. Clemson and Florida State have been on that list.
Miami had gone away from such attention, and if NCAA sanctions don’t interfere along the way the Hurricanes could be up to something big again after defeating in-state rival Florida.
2. Virginia entered the season with questions at several positions and it figures to be a key year for coach Mike London. The wipe-out loss to Oregon won’t help his cause nor will it be a way to start to attract big crowds back to Scott Stadium.
Even with that, the Cavaliers can take more satisfaction in defeating Brigham Young in the opening week because Brigham Young went on to trounce Texas in its second game. So it’s fair to say that Virginia is a team that still must be figured out.
3. Boston College could make some noise, while there’s hardly enough evidence filed to suggest that there’s a full turnaround in coach Steve Addazio’s first season. But a 2-0 start is something to take note of.
“I think it’s awesome to be 2-0,” QB Chase Rettig said. “It just gives credit to how hard we’re working.”
Now the Eagles own an Atlantic Division victory and it will hold a perch atop the division listing for at least a few weeks until its next two ACC games come Sept. 28 against Florida State and Oct. 12 at Clemson.
4. Syracuse is in its first season in the ACC, but the start of the season looks like the Orange joined the Big Ten. That hasn’t gone so well with losses to Penn State and Northwestern.
The Orange will try to get on the winning track with games against Wagner and Tulane before the ACC portion of its schedule begins. Syracuse receives a real treat there because its first ACC foe is Clemson.
5. ACC teams have yet to fall victim to losses this year to teams from lower divisions, but conference members haven’t been excluded from receiving scares. North Carolina State needed a final-minute field goal to turn away Richmond 23-21.
“The first thing I said to the teams was, ‘You found a way to win,’” first-year coach Dave Doeren said. “We gave our kicker a chance to win it and he did.”