After being picked to finish 5th in the ACC preseason poll before the season, Georgia Tech is trending to finish much worse than that in the conference race if they can't begin to play better on both sides of the ball.

The Yellow Jackets should get their first win of the season against Mercer this Saturday, but they have a steep hill to climb if they want to make a fourth straight bowl game.

So where did Georgia Tech land in this week's ACC power rankings after their loss to Tennessee?

17. Boston College (1-1, 0-0 ACC). Last week: 17

Hat tip to Boston College for getting their first win of the season, though Rutgers having already lost to UMass took something out of that win. The Eagles should reach 2-1 this weekend when they face Maine, but this team still does not look very good and they still have a lot to prove over the course of the season.

16. Clemson (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 16

A win is a win, but for some programs, playing a certain way against a certain opponent is going to feel like a loss. In their 22-7 win over Georgia Southern, Clemson still looked inept on offense, and their only touchdown of the game came when the Eagles muffed a punt and gave the Tigers great field position. Clemson's next test will be at home this weekend against North Carolina.

15. Stanford (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 15

Stanford was off last weekend and resume play this weekend vs Duke on the road.

14. Syracuse (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 14

The Orange looked like they were going to get a win on Saturday against Cal, but they could not finish the game and allowed the Golden Bears to pick up a win, which has to feel deflating if you are Fran Brown. The next test for Syracuse will be on Thursday night against Pittsburgh.

13. Georgia Tech (0-2, 0-0). Last week: 9

It has not been a great start to the season for the Yellow Jackets. They are 0-2 for the first time since 1989 and they have not shown a lot of reason to belief that things are going to get better. The offense has scored two touchdowns in two games (the same amount of touchdowns as their special teams) and the defense cannot stop the run. The Yellow Jackets host Mercer this weekend before beginning ACC play against Stanford next Saturday.

12. NC State (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 12

The Wolfpack blew out Richmond to get their first win of the season, but a road test to Vanderbilt this weekend will be a tougher test. If NC State wants to rebound and have a successful season, they might really need a win on Saturday.

11. Florida State (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 11

Florida State was off this weekend and will resume play this weekend at Alabama.

10. Wake Forest (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 13

It did not look great all the time on Saturday against Purdue, but the Demon Deacons kept battling and found a way to get the win in double overtime. Jake Dickert's team has talent on offense and their defensive line is disruptive, but now they have a colossal test on Friday against Miami? Can Wake get one of the biggest wins in program history?

9. California (1-1, 1-0). Last week: 8

Credit to Cal for getting past the loss to UCLA and going across the country to beat Syracuse, even if they were far from perfect in doing so. The Golden Bears have talent, but have not played consistently on either side of the ball. They host Wagner this weekend and should reach 2-1.

8. North Carolina (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 7

North Carolina took care of business this past weekend vs ETSU and earned their second victory of the season. While Clemson is clearly down this season, a victory against the Tar Heels would be an excellent job for Bill Belichick and might show they can compete in the conference this season.

7. Virginia Tech. Last week: 6

The Hokies have looked very good to start the James Franklin era, but they have not played the best opponents. After taking a 34-3 lead against ODU this past weekend, they let them score some points late to let them make the game look closer than it was. The first real test comes on Saturday night at Maryland.

6. Duke (2-0, 0-0)

Duke scored the most impressive win of the weekend in their road victory against Illinois, and though just two games, Manny Diaz deserves a lot of credit for how his team has started, considering what all transpired this offseason. Duke is aiming for a 3-0 start this weekend when they host Stanford.

5. Pittsburgh (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 5

Pittsburgh had to battle the weather against UCF on Saturday, but they got the win and moved to 2-0. The Panthers begin ACC play this week against Syracuse on Thursday night.

4. Louisville (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 4

The Cardinals were on a short week after losing to Ole Miss and they responded by blowout out Villanova. The matchup against No. 17 SMU this weekend is arguably the biggest game in the ACC this season.

3. SMU (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 3

SMU was also on a short week, but they did not have any trouble defeating UC Davis for their second win of the season. The winner of this weekend's game between SMU and Louisville is going to have a favorable path to land in Charlotte for the ACC Championship.

2. Virginia (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 2

Virginia did not have any struggles after not playing for two weeks and they dispatched of Norfolk State easily on Friday night. An interesting test awaits this weekend in Charlotte against West Virginia.

1. Miami (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 1

Miami still looks like the class of the ACC and the one team in the conference who can compete for a national championship. The Hurricanes destroyed an overmatched FAMU team last Thursday, but they have a tricky test on Friday night against a well-coached Wake Forest team. Miami is more talented, but it is a road trip on a Friday night against a team that comes prepared.