The Atlantic Coast Conference begins week three of the 2022 season with five teams ranked in the AP Poll. The Miami Hurricanes are the second-highest-ranked team in the conference and top-ranked in the Coastal Division.

There are 12 games involving ACC teams in week three, with just one of those being a conference matchup. Four of the games are against Power Five opponents, so multiple ACC teams will be put to the test this week.

Friday, September 16

Florida State @ Louisville; 7:30 p.m.

The ACC schedule has a strong start with the only conference game of the week on Friday night. Florida State travels to Louisville for their first conference game of the season while Louisville plays their second ACC team of the season.

We want the Seminoles to lose this game. If the Hurricanes played them sooner in the season, I may be rooting for an undefeated matchup between these teams. But the likelihood of both teams being unbeaten in week 10 is extremely unlikely.

Saturday, September 17

Wofford @ Virginia Tech; 11 a.m.

After losing to Old Dominion in week one, the Virginia Tech Hokies take on another low-level opponent. The winless Wofford Terriers don’t have an easy road to winning their first game of the season with the Hokies just beating Boston College.

Virginia Tech is the second conference game of Miami’s season, so I would like them to not seem like a complete joke by that point, which would be the case if they lost to Wofford and Old Dominion.

Purdue @ Syracuse; Noon

One of three ACC teams with a conference win, the Syracuse Orange began their season with a big win over Louisville. Let's root for the Orange to keep it going, putting together some wins for the conference over the Big Ten.

Old Dominion @ Virginia; 2 p.m.

Old Dominion plays an ACC opponent for the second time in three weeks. After beating Virginia Tech to open their season and then losing to East Carolina, the Monarchs take on Virginia.

Having a second team lose to Old Dominion would make the Coastal Division look weak. If the Hurricanes want to go on to the College Football Playoff, they not only have to win all of their games but also win against a competent schedule. So the division needs to stop suffering terrible losses to small programs.

Ole Miss @ Georgia Tech; 3:30 p.m.

The second game for the ACC against a Power Five team is Georgia Tech against Ole Miss. The Yellow Jackets pushed Clemson for three quarters to open their season and would look like a pretty solid team if they can beat an SEC team.

I am not afraid of Georgia Tech in the long run, so I would like them to beat the Rebels and give the conference a big win over a mid-level SEC West team.

Liberty @ Wake Forest; 5 p.m.

Wake Forest was seen as one of the top teams in the conference entering the season and with the return of Sam Hartman, they can prove why. Liberty has beat UAB and Southern Miss in close games, but I see them having a hard time keeping up with the Demon Deacons.

North Carolina A&T @ Duke; 6 p.m.

With wins over Temple and Northwestern, Duke looks to begin their season 3-0 for the first time since 2018. The Blue Devils have begun their season much better than most would have thought thanks to quarterback Riley Leonard.

North Carolina A&T is 0-2 and I don’t see a scenario where either team has a first on the season.

Texas Tech @ NC State; 7 p.m.

In another matchup between Power Five teams, NC State hosts Texas Tech. Both teams have begun their season with two wins, but the Wolfpack almost lost their season-opener to East Carolina while Texas Tech beat a ranked team last week.

Another win over a Power Five team would keep the ACC looking good, at least in one division. Since the record of the Atlantic Division doesn’t affect Miami, rooting for NC State here is probably the move.

Pittsburgh @ Western Michigan; 7:30 p.m.

In another game where an ACC team goes on the road against a smaller program, the Pittsburgh Panthers look to get back on the winning track against Western Michigan on the road.

The Panthers are probably the Hurricanes’ biggest competition in the Coastal, so their losing games to help in tie-breaking situations is helpful. Especially with the matchup between Miami and Pitt taking place at the end of the season, making the last game of the season that much more important.

Maine @ Boston College; 7:30 p.m.

The only winless team in the entire ACC, Boston College should pick up their first win of the season against Maine. With losses to New Mexico and Colgate, there is no reason the Eagles should struggle in this game.

Louisiana Tech @ Clemson; 8 p.m.

If there was a team I always want to look bad, no matter the situation, it’s Clemson. They struggled for the first three quarters against Georgia Tech before pulling away. They then only beat Furman 35-12.

Louisiana Tech lost to Missouri before beating Stephen F. Austin. so it is unlikely they can beat one of the most talented teams in the country. But the Tigers’ inability to consistently score points could keep this game closer than it probably should be. And it is fun to root against them, even if they are the best program in the conference over the last decade.