1. Miami (7–0, 3–0 Atlantic Coast)
For the third straight week, the undefeated Hurricanes found themselves prevailing in a close ACC battle. In this weekend’s game, they found themselves tied at 38 against Louisville with just over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes responded well, rattling off two straight touchdowns to remain undefeated. Quarterback Cam Ward continued his Heisman campaign, posting 319 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and zero interceptions in the 52–45 winning effort.
Next up: Florida State, Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:00 p.m.
2. Clemson (6–1, 5–0)
After dropping their first game of the season to Georgia, the Tigers haven’t looked back. Clemson’s latest victory in its six-game winning streak came against Virginia. The Tigers started off a bit slow but used a huge second and third quarter to extend their lead and earn the 48–31 win. Running back Phil Mafah carried the scoring load with two rushing touchdowns while averaging over four yards per carry.
Next up: Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 2, TBD
3. Pittsburgh (6–0, 2–0)
Coming in at number three in this week’s ACC power rankings is Pittsburgh, the league’s only undefeated team aside from Miami. The Panthers had a bye this week, but will need the extra rest for their next opponent. On Thursday night, the Panthers will host the one-loss Orange—a matchup that will go far in determining each squad’s ACC Championship hopes.
Next up: Syracuse, Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
4. Duke (6–1, 2–1)
The Blue Devils weren’t able to get much done offensively, but still found a way to win 23–16 over Florida State. A pick-six in the opening quarter and a flurry of field goals throughout the game allowed the Blue Devils to grab an early lead in the game that they would never give up. Quarterback Maalik Murphy was only able to tally up 70 yards in the winning effort. Duke will need a lot more from him in their upcoming tilt with the Mustangs.
Next up: SMU, Saturday, Oct. 26, 8:00 p.m.
5. Southern Methodist (6–1, 3–0)
SMU continued their tear through the ACC schedule with their 40–10 win over Stanford in their first trip to the West Coast as a member of the conference. Through its first three conference matchups as a part of the ACC, SMU has been dominant, averaging nearly 40 points per game with a 3–0 record. Unfortunately, in their last victory, tight end RJ Maryland suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Mustangs will need their other pass catchers to fill in to remain undefeated in ACC play.
Next up: Duke, Saturday, Oct. 26, 8:00 p.m.
6. Syracuse (5–1, 2–1)
The last time Syracuse was in action, they had a strong win over the NC State 24–17, putting them over .500 in conference play. Offensively, senior wide receiver Jackson Meeks was superb, hauling in a career-high 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. After the bye, the Orange will look to extend their winning streak to four and hand the undefeated Panthers their first loss in a Thursday night clash at Acrisure Stadium.
Next up: Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
7. Louisville (4–3, 2–2)
This past weekend, Louisville went toe-to-toe with No. 6 Miami before falling short in the final quarter. Despite the loss, this was not a performance for the Cardinals to hang their hats. Thanks to quarterback Tyler Shough and his career-high 342 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, the Cardinals were able to match up nicely with the ACC’s best. Even though they had a dominant performance in a losing effort, the Cardinals now find themselves looking at a three-game road trip that will determine their chances at a potential ACC championship appearance.
Next up: Boston College, Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.
8. Virginia Tech (4–3, 2–1)
On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Hokies had a dominant 42–21 win over Boston College. The Hokies started out the game by dominating both sides of the ball, heading into the halftime locker room with a 28–0 lead. Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten had a career night with 266 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Even though the Eagles were able to claw back to make it a one-possession game, the Hokies shut the door with two late Tuten touchdowns to put the game to bed.
Next up: Georgia Tech, Saturday, Oct. 26, 12:00 p.m.
9. Virginia (4–3, 2–2)
Around halfway through the second quarter, the Cavaliers worked their way to the point that they were up 10–3 against an AP Top 10 opponent on the road. All of that changed when the Tigers rattled off 35-unanswered points to put the Cavaliers’ upset hopes to rest. The Cavaliers were able to throw for nearly 300 yards, but they couldn’t develop a strong running game to keep the Tigers’ defense on their toes. Virginia will look to return to the win column in a get-right home game against North Carolina, who has yet to find their first ACC win of the season.
Next up: North Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 26, 12:00 p.m.
10. Georgia Tech (5–3, 3–2)
In an out-of-conference neutral site clash, the Yellow Jackets fell to No. 12 Notre Dame 31–13. After putting the first points on the board with a long 13-play touchdown drive, the Yellow Jackets surrendered the next 31 points to the Fighting Irish. In the red zone, the Yellow Jackets’ defense couldn’t seem to contain Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard from using his legs, letting up two rushing touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets will return to ACC play this week in a matchup against the Hokies, where they can clinch bowl game eligibility with a victory.
Next up: Virginia Tech, Saturday, Oct. 26, 12:00 p.m.
11. Boston College (4–3, 1–2)
At number 11 in this week’s power rankings lie the Eagles. Coming off the bye, the Eagles dropped their second straight game in a 42–21 defeat at the hands of the Hokies. After falling down 28–0, the Eagles responded with three third-quarter touchdowns in less than six minutes of the game clock. In the end, Hokies’ running back Tuten proved to be too much to handle, posting two more rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to shut down BC’s comeback effort. The Eagles will look to bounce back to the win column this week in a matchup against the Cardinals under the Friday night lights of Alumni Stadium.
Next up: Louisville, Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.
12. NC State (4–4, 1–3)
In a game that was absolute cinema, the Wolfpack endured a wild final sequence to secure their first ACC win. Throughout the afternoon, the Wolfpack’s passing attack was incredible, with five different pass-catchers getting at least four receptions. With just over a minute left, the Golden Bears were set to make a go-ahead 28-yard field goal but the kick sailed just outside the goalpost. After a three-and-out, the Wolfpack defense was able to stand tall for four more snaps and clinch the victory. The Wolfpack will have an extra week to recover before hosting Stanford and going for the Bay Area sweep.
Next up: Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 2, TBD
13. Wake Forest (3–4, 1–2)
This past weekend the Demon Deacons took a trip up to Storrs, Conn., where they took down the Huskies 23–20. The Demon Deacons relied heavily on their running game, with Demond Claiborne stacking up 24 carries and two touchdowns. This was an excellent road win and response to the 35-point loss they had to the Tigers the week earlier. In their next game, the Demon Deacons will take a trip across the country to the farm where they will take on Stanford, looking to reach 0.500 with a win.
Next up: Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m.
14. Stanford (2–5, 1–3)
As for the Cardinal, they have continued to struggle. This past week, they lost 40–10 to the Mustangs and were held to just 206 total yards. After winning its first-ever ACC game at Syracuse, Stanford has dropped its next four games by a combined score of 160–38. Although this was a tough part of their schedule with three ranked opponents—Clemson, Notre Dame, and SMU—the Cardinal will need to respond in a home matchup against the Demon Deacons.
Next up: Wake Forest, Saturday, Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m.
15. California (3–4, 0–4)
This past week, the Golden Bears’ struggles continued in a 24–23 loss to NC State. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears were up 23–10 but gave up two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes. The defeat came in large part due to a missed chip shot field goal as the game was coming to a close. After beginning the season 3–0, the Golden Bears have dropped their first four games in the ACC by a total of nine points. The Golden Bears will look to snap their losing skid by hosting Oregon State in a game that feels like it should be a PAC-12 matchup.
Next up: Oregon State, Saturday, Oct. 26, 4:00 p.m.
16. North Carolina (3–4, 0–3)
Similar to the Golden Bears, the Tar Heels started out the season 3–0 before dropping their next four. In their latest defeat, the Tar Heels lost in the final 30 seconds after a 68-yard touchdown run from Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes. Since then, the Tar Heels have had a bye to recover from the devastating home defeat. This next week, the Tar Heels will head one state north to take on the Cavaliers in hopes of capturing their first win in ACC conference play this season.
Next up: Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 12:00 p.m.
17. Florida State (1–6, 1–5)
Rounding out the end of this week’s ACC power rankings are the Seminoles. Despite outgaining the Blue Devils by over 100 total yards, the Seminoles lost to Duke 23–16. Turnovers proved to be a big issue for the Seminoles, with quarterback Brock Glenn turning the ball over three times and running back Kam Davis putting the ball on the ground once. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Seminoles as they have their toughest game up to this point as they head down to Miami to take on the Hurricanes.
Next up: Miami, Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:00 p.m.
