ACC power(less) rankings, Week 5

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Miami's trip to Clemson is a noon game.

Typically, I'm a bit biased about the topic of noon games because I tend to like them. Get done working by 6. Steaks on the grill by 6:30. Watch college football all night. Pretty close to ideal.

It's at this point where I'd usually say to angry fans: "Take care of business on the field (at Auburn, in this case), and you don't have to worry about many noon starts."

But I'm going to take your side in this one. It just doesn't feel right at all for these two to be starting at noon.

Here's a history lesson: Clemson over Miami in overtime in 2004; Miami over Clemson in overtime in 2005; Clemson over Miami in overtime in 2009.

What's not to like?

You can sort of understand Virginia Tech/N.C. State at 3:30. The Wolfpack are the story of the ACC right now, and it should be a compelling game.

But Notre Dame/Boston College? At 8 p.m.? On ABC?

Did they see the Irish get squashed by Stanford? Did they see Shinskie happen last week against Virginia Tech?

Just doesn't make sense that the top two teams in the ACC (we think) are playing at noon. And the fact that we don't even have the consolation of Doc Walker in Death Valley makes it even worse.

With that, here are this week's ACC power(less) rankings:

1. Miami (last week-1)--I wouldn't argue with someone who wanted to put Clemson atop the rankings. But the Tigers are gonna have to go out and prove it. Miami's offense does look rather shaky, but it's hard to quibble with a dominating win at Pitt.

2. Clemson (LW-2)--Can the Tigers move the ball consistently against Miami without C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford?

3. Florida State (LW-3)--I'd have bet my house that the 'Noles wouldn't hold both BYU and Wake Forest under 200 yards. Good thing I don't bet (much).

4. Virginia Tech (LW-5)--Yep, I know about the loss to James Madison. But this is about ranking who's better right now, and I'd put the Hokies a shade above N.C. State.

5. N.C. State (LW-6)--This is exactly what a lot of folks expected to see out of the gate last season. Guess Tom O'Brien was right about all those injuries hamstringing progress in Raleigh.

6. Georgia Tech (LW-4)--Josh Nesbitt is 14 of 43 passing for a scintillating 32.6-percent clip. Couple that with an atrocious defense, and you get an average football team.

7. North Carolina (LW-8)--Have to admire Butch Davis' ability to keep this team together.

8. Boston College (LW-7)--At QB for B.C.: Mike Marscovetra. Bless you.

9. Maryland (LW-9)--Something tells me I've overrated this team this year.

10. Virginia (LW-10)--Can the Cavs hang with the Seminoles in Charlottesville?

11. Wake Forest (LW-11)--Last week's debacle in Tallahassee looked a lot like last year's debacle in Clemson. Just not enough athletes in Winston-Salem.

12. Duke (LW-12)--So much for David Cutcliffe's visions of reaching a bowl this season. Losing winnable games to Wake Forest and Army might've been the death blow for those hopes.

Here's a good feature on Miami linebacker Jordan Futch.

Not only did Futch have to deal with fighting back from a torn ACL in his left knee that cost him the final eight games of the 2009 season, but he also had personal anguish to overcome.

On Jan. 21, his older half brother, Raphael Lesean Futch Jr., 21, was shot in the back of the head and killed during a robbery in Liberty City. Futch said his brother was trying to sell the rims on his car to pay rent when the men buying the rims pulled out a gun.

``They started beating his friend up and so he got his gun out and tried to protect himself -- then they started shooting,'' Futch said. ``There was a child in the back seat and my brother jumped in the back to protect him. They put a couple rounds in the car and unfortunately one hit him in the back of the head''

Futch's mother, Caroline, said her stepson's death hit her son and husband hard. It was only compounded two weeks later when her husband's older brother and Jordan's uncle, Walter Brown, died from a brain tumor.

``It was definitely the worst I've ever seen Jordan in his life,'' Caroline said. ``Between getting ready for Sean Jr.'s funeral, the family was going back and forth to the hospital to see Walter.

``At that time, I didn't know who Jordan was. The smiling, happy kid I raised was so down -- so down.''

Here's a piece on Miami CB Ryan Hill.

He helped shut down Jonathan Baldwin, who at 6-5, 225 pounds and with blazing speed is considered one of the top three receivers in college football by ESPN's NFL Draft guru, Mel Kiper. Baldwin had only three catches for 26 yards Thursday.

Hill (6-0, 205) said he and preseason All-American Brandon Harris split the coverage duties on Baldwin ``about 50-50.''

The only time Hill gave up a catch in coverage was when Mike Shanahan caught a 9-yard pass in the fourth quarter for a first down. Four plays later, Hill made up for it with his highlight reel interception at the UM 8-yard line.

``I don't like giving up a [catch],'' Hill said. ``Giving up a touchdown, that's something we don't want to give up in the secondary.''

This Miami beat writer gives some thoughts, and he says Saturday's game will be decided by the Tigers' OL and the Canes' DL.

Heather Dinich says the ACC's offenses fell flat in Week 4.

As if North Carolina could afford any more attrition ... Johnny White and Quan Sturdivant are hurt.

The Wolfpack is trying to stay level-headed over its 4-0 start.

Caulton Tudor says N.C. State has a chance to be great.

Tony Barnhart says the first round of college football's playoff begins Saturday.

Playoff? A playoff?


LW