Had N.C. State not self-destructed so much and beaten Tennessee this would have been a fantastic opening weekend for the ACC. Overall, the conference finished 7-1 against non-conference opponents.
As it was, State’s loss was a bruise to the league's ego -- the Wolfpack were turnover-prone all night, losing 35-21 -- though Clemson somewhat evened things out by beating its SEC opponent, Auburn.
However, some narrow escapes against FCS schools saved the league from total embarrassment, with Maryland in particular squeaking by William & Mary 7-6.
To cap off the weekend, the final quarter of the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game before a national audience Monday night was thrilling.
Overall conference grade: B.
Here's our team-by-team grades for the opening weekend»
