What We Learned About the ACC After Unique Week 0

© Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

What a start to the 2024 college football season. With only a few games being played in the opening "Week 0" of the college football season, the spotlight shines brighter on the games and teams being played. The Atlantic Coast Conference was uniquely positioned with three schools in games during the opening weekend. Here are some takeaways from a unique Week 0 of college football.

In the opening weekend of the college football season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Florida State Seminoles and SMU Mustangs were all involved in games.

Biggest Winner

In the 2024 Aer Lingus Classic, the Yellow Jackets clashed with the Florida State Seminoles. In a game that lived up to the expectations of being a hard-fought battle, the Yellow Jackets earned the victory with a 44-yard field goal as time expired. The Yellow Jackets sent a shockwave through the conference with an unexpected early-season victory.

The Yellow Jackets stuck to their game plan and played a physical game and stunned the defending ACC Champion Seminoles. Wins always matter and a quality win versus a top-10 team for the Yellow Jackets could propel them further than expected.

Biggest Disappointment

After how the 2023 season ended, the Florida State Seminoles' 2024 season started with a loss to a conference foe. It is too soon to tell if this was a bad loss for the Seminoles, but it certainly didn't help. FSU was outmuscled in the trenches and Seminoles couldn't counter.

Does this loss derail the season for quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, linebacker Patrick Payton and the Seminoles? Absolutely not. It does however mean there is less room for mistakes. With another conference game right around the corner, there is no time to waste. With a contest coming up against Boston College and quarterback Thomas Castellanos, head coach Mike Norvell and his staff have work to do in short order.

To Be Determined

The SMU Mustangs began their first season of ACC play with a matchup against the Nevada Wolf Pack. They say there are ugly losses, but there are ugly wins as well. With the bulk of the offense returning from last season and being favored by 27.5 points, needing a late touchdown drive to get the win is a concern. Now they did win the game and if you look at the stats, they outgained Nevada 408 yards to 298, so there is something to build on. It was a game that was much too close for SMU to consider a quality win. They have to show some more, especially when hopes are high for them to contend for the ACC crown in Year 1.

© JASON BEAN/RGJ/USA TODAY NETWORK

What's Next for the ACC?

It's much too soon to know how these games will affect the teams this season. While the Yellow Jackets are in an advantageous position with the early conference win, will they build off that or will there be a hangover of sorts? The Florida State Seminoles had a game plan that didn't work. How will the coaches learn from it and how will the players motivate themselves to play better? The Mustangs escaped with the win in a game that shouldn't have been close. With a game looming in Week 2 against BYU, how will they adjust?