All-Carolina Football Poll: Coastal, App State ranked ahead of the Gamecocks, NC State
What was arguably the most captivating college football weekend of the season — how about those Hoosiers? — was ... less interesting in the Carolinas. Clemson did its thing after the slow start against Syracuse. South Carolina embarrassed itself. Coastal Carolina won, again. Wake Forest sprung an upset. East Carolina didn’t play, which is kind of like a victory.
The biggest letdown, in terms of something that looked interesting but turned out not to be? The North Carolina-N.C. State game. The Wolfpack looked like it had the makings of a team that would compete in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels looked vulnerable after that loss at Florida State the week before.
So much for that.
You get the sense that this rivalry might be one-sided for a while. UNC beat State by 31 last year and by 27 on Saturday, and the Tar Heels probably could’ve picked their margin. And the way Mack Brown and his staff are recruiting? Shoot, it’s possible — perhaps even likely — that these past two games are just the beginning of a long stretch of sustained UNC dominance.
Luke DeCock put it well in one of his columns last week: This felt like the Wolfpack’s last chance (for now) to keep the Tar Heels within sight. But hey: State did win the pregame hype video. That has to count for something.
Onto Week 7 of the All-Carolinas poll:
1. Clemson (6-0, 5-0 ACC)
Previous ranking: 1
Last week: W vs. Syracuse, 47-21
Up next: vs. Boston College, Saturday
Clemson is at a point where Dabo Swinney can’t have it both ways. He can’t pull the “little ol’ Clemson” card while also expressing some angst at a tough question or two after a sloppy win, like the one against Syracuse on Saturday. Those questions aren’t a sign of disrespect; they’re reflective of Clemson having raised the bar. Dabo should know it comes with the territory.
2. North Carolina (4-1, 4-1 ACC)
Previous ranking: 2
Last week: W vs. N.C. State, 48-21
Up next: at Virginia, Saturday
Sam Howell was right: this one could’ve been worse. Much worse. The Tar Heels provided a look at what they’re capable of when they play a complete game, which hadn’t happened before Saturday. There’s a wide (to put it mildly) gap between Clemson and everyone else in the ACC, but this version of UNC stands a strong chance of making the ACC title game.
3. Coastal Carolina (5-0, 3-0 Sun Belt)
Previous ranking: 5
Last week: W Georgia Southern, 28-14
Up next: at Georgia State, Saturday
We don’t know how Coastal Carolina might fare against some of the Power Five teams in the Carolinas. We don’t know if the Chanticleers really are the third-best team across two states, after Clemson and UNC. Would anyone outside of those two teams want anything to do with Coastal, though? Probably not. Could be a while before this team loses.
4. Appalachian State (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt)
Previous ranking: 7
Last week: W vs. Arkansas State, 45-17
Up next: at Louisiana-Monroe, Saturday
Hey, it turns out the Mountaineers remembered their plays, after all. There had to be some concern after the (almost a) month layoff due to various virus-related delays and postponements. App looked quite sharp in dismantling Arkansas State, which is always among the more formidable of Sun Belt competition. The winless Warhawks should be an even easier test.
5. N.C. State (4-2, 4-2 ACC)
Previous ranking: 3
Last week: L at North Carolina, 48-21
Up next: vs. Miami, Nov. 6
Yes, the margin could’ve been worse for State on Saturday but things could’ve been a lot better, too. Remember, after all, that it was without Devin Leary. And that it suffered from a spell of bad luck early. A rivalry thumping aside, if you told Wolfpack fans the team would be 4-2 at this point, would they have taken it and run? The answer is clearly yes.
6. Wake Forest (3-2, 2-2 ACC)
Previous ranking: 6
Last week: W vs. Virginia Tech, 23-16
Up next: at Syracuse, Saturday
Don’t look now, but the Demon Deacons have won three straight after the season-opening losses against Clemson (by a lot) and N.C. State (by a little). So now the question becomes: is Wake ... good? The upcoming trip to Syracuse might not provide an answer, but circle your calendar for a mid-November game at UNC that’s looking more and more intriguing.
7. South Carolina (2-3, 2-3 SEC)
Previous ranking: 4
Last week: L at LSU, 52-24
Up next: vs. Texas A&M, Nov. 7
Yeesh. Remember those bygone happy times — like, a little more than a week ago — after the Gamecocks beat Auburn for the first time as a member of the SEC? Whatever good mojo South Carolina earned then disappeared in a four-touchdown loss at LSU. It’s one thing to lose to LSU like that when it has Joe Burrow and a national championship team. But this season?
8. Duke (1-5, 1-5 ACC)
Previous ranking: 8
Last week: off
Up next: vs. Charlotte, Saturday
A serious question: What is the motivation for a struggling team at the midpoint of the season, coming out of an off week? The Blue Devils have the opportunity to provide an answer Saturday. Charlotte, it would seem, has a lot to play for, what with going against an ACC opponent. But Duke?
9. Charlotte (2-2, 2-1, Conference USA)
Previous ranking: 9
Last week: W vs. UTEP, 38-28
Up next: at Duke, Saturday
Some history in the making for the 49ers this weekend: The game at Duke will be Charlotte’s first against an in-state ACC school. It will be Charlotte’s third-ever against an ACC opponent (losses to Louisville in 2016 and Clemson in 2019). As noted in the space above, the 49ers should have the intangibles edge in Durham. Plenty for them to be excited about.
10. East Carolina (1-3, 1-2 AAC)
Previous ranking: 10
Last week: off
Up next: at Tulsa, Friday
Doesn’t ECU-Tulsa football on a Friday night just take you back to the glory years of TGIF on ABC? Full House, Family Matters, Boy Meets World ... and now some classic AACtion between two old gridiron rivals. Who can long for the days of Urkel and Uncle Jesse when the Pirates and Golden Hurricanes are getting together?
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 12:05 PM.