1. Miami (4–0)
No. 7 Miami is firmly positioned at the top of the ACC, led by Heisman-favorite quarterback Cam Ward. The Washington State transfer has been superb for the Hurricanes thus far, leading the NCAA with 14 touchdown passes while passing for 1,439 yards, second only to Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Ward was spectacular again in Miam’s 50–15 win over South Florida, racking up 404 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and only one interception. The game between Miami and USF remained close in the first half, as the Hurricanes were only up by one score at the break before extending their lead en route to a 35-point victory to remain undefeated.
Next up: Virginia Tech, Friday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.
2. Clemson (2–1, 1–0 Atlantic Coast)
No. 17 Clemson raced out to a strong start in its first ACC matchup of the season, rattling off four touchdowns in the first quarter against NC State. Dabo Swinney’s group never looked back, winning 59–35 and holding the lead for 58:29 of the game clock. This was a big win for the Tigers, knocking off a preseason AP Top 25 team in convincing fashion. Although the Tigers started off their season with a 34–3 drubbing at the hands of Georgia, many positives have emerged from the season so far. The Tigers only trailed by six points at halftime against Georgia. Since that loss, the Tigers have scored a combined 125 points over the next two weeks. With Swinney on the sidelines and an experienced Cade Klubnik under center, this squad could continue to stack wins and contend for an ACC title.
Next up: Stanford, Saturday, Sept. 28, 7:00 p.m.
3. Louisville (3–0, 1–0)
No. 15 Louisville had its first ACC game this past weekend, and handled Georgia Tech soundly, winning 31–19. Quarterback Tyler Shough looked comfortable in the pocket, throwing for two passing touchdowns and no interceptions, while not being sacked once. Cardinals’ head coach Jeff Brohm appears to have a solid squad with his alma mater, as Louisville rose four slots this past week in the AP Top 25 poll. The Cardinals, however, will face their first big test of the season and head to South Bend to take on an unpredictable Notre Dame squad in a top-20 matchup. With a win this weekend, the Cardinals will move to 4-0 and put themselves on the fast track for the ACC crown.
Next up: No. 16 Notre Dame, Saturday, Sept. 28, 3:30 p.m.
4. Boston College (3–1, 1–0)
In a rainy night matchup against Michigan State, Boston College rallied late to win 23–19, in the 11th annual Red Bandanna football game. During their emotional victory, the Eagles’ defense held strong, picking off Oregon State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles three times throughout the game. Despite a goal-line stand and go-ahead field goal with just over four minutes left from the Spartans, the Eagles responded. BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos led the offense right down the field in a drive that ended in a 42-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond. An interception in the endzone from Max Tucker sealed the victory for the Eagles, as BC students stormed the field.
Next up: Western Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 p.m.
5. Duke (4–0)
Although Duke hasn’t faced the stiffest competition so far, it has escaped the first four weeks of its schedule unscathed. This past weekend, the Blue Devils used an offensive barrage in the first quarter to take down Middle Tennessee on the road. In the opening quarter alone, Duke scored four touchdowns while averaging just three plays per drive. Running back Star Thomas and tight end Nicky Dalmolin each found the endzone twice on the way to the 45–17 victory.
Next up: North Carolina, Saturday, Sept. 28, 4:00 p.m.
6. Pittsburgh (4–0)
Last weekend, Pittsburgh put up video-game numbers in its 73–17 win over Youngstown State that included 10 total touchdowns. In the 56-point victory, the Panthers left nothing to question, racking up 644 total yards throughout the game despite controlling possession for less than 23 minutes.
Next up: North Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 5, 12:00 p.m.
7. Stanford (2–1, 1–0)
Stanford’s first-ever conference matchup in the ACC was nothing short of spectacular. Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor was the star of the Cardinal’s offense, securing the ball for a wild one-handed touchdown in the first quarter to open up the scoring. Ayomanor followed up his early touchdown with a crucial 27-yard grab on 4th-and-9 allowing the Cardinal to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired and beat Syracuse 26–24.
Next up: Clemson, Saturday, Sept. 28, 7:00 p.m.
8. Southern Methodist (3–1)
In a Dallas-Fort Worth battle, Southern Methodist put on an offensive clinic in its 66–42 victory over Texas Christian. Senior running back Brashard Smith led the way with four touchdowns, while averaging an extremely efficient 7.1 yards a carry. The Mustangs were able to put up the first 17 points on the board, and never let go of their lead. SMU will look to duplicate its impressive offensive performance this week in a home matchup against Florida State—the Mustangs’ first-ever conference game in the ACC.
Next up: Florida State, Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:00 p.m.
9. California (3–1, 0–1)
Coming into Week 4, the Golden Bears looked spectacular, with two convincing home wins and an impressive Week 2 victory at Auburn. That quickly shifted this past week, however, in a frustrating 14–9 loss in Tallahassee—giving Florida State its first win of the season. Despite the fact that the Golden Bears recorded 126 more yards, they still weren’t able to find the endzone. To rub salt in the wound, they failed to convert two field goals within 40 yards—one blocked and one missed—that ended up being the difference in the game. After a restful bye week, the Golden Bears will have a tough challenge ahead of them as they will return to Berkeley to host undefeated Miami.
Next up: Miami, Saturday, Oct. 5, 10:30 p.m.
10. Syracuse (2–1, 1–1)
Despite a ranked win over Georgia Tech, the Orange followed that performance up with a tough defeat at home to Stanford 26–24 with a field goal at the horn. Even though Kyle McCord threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, he also got picked off by the Cardinal twice, one of which resulted in a 71-yard pick-six. While this loss will sting for the Orange, they will look to pick up an easy win in a get-right home game against Holy Cross next week.
Next up: Holy Cross, Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 p.m.
11. Virginia (3–1, 1–0)
After suffering their first loss of the season against Maryland, the Cavaliers responded very well in a 43–24 road win at Coastal Carolina. In the victory, running back Xavier Brown was spectacular, racking up 171 rushing yards. As a team, the Cavaliers dominated the game with their rushing attack, totaling 384 yards and three touchdowns by the end. After this win, the Cavaliers will have an extra week to prepare before hosting BC in what could be a pivotal game in the ACC standings.
Next up: Boston College, Saturday, Oct. 5, 12:00 p.m.
12. NC State (2–2, 0–1)
This past week, the Wolfpack dropped its second game of the season at the hands of a Top-25 team, losing to then-No. 23 Clemson 59–35. Throughout the game, NC State looked abysmal on both sides of the ball. Although NC State ended up with 35 points, 21 of those points came in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of hand. The Wolfpack also turned the ball over three times and struggled to score through the first three quarters of the game. If NC State hopes to get back into the win column this weekend against Northern Illinois, it will need to limit mistakes offensively and get out to a fast start.
Next up: Northern Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 p.m.
13. North Carolina (3–1)
Before this week, the Tar Heels looked dominant, before dropping their first game of the season in a 70–50 home loss against James Madison. The Tar Heels were no match for the James Madison passing gameplan, as quarterback Alonza Barnett III threw for 388 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. Despite letting up 70 points, the Tar Heels also scored 50 points of their own, with running back Omarion Hampton scoring three touchdowns on the ground. Throughout the matchup, the Tar Heels turned the ball over five times, and they will need to take better care of the ball next week to take down the Blue Devils.
Next up: Duke, Saturday, Sept. 28, 4:00 p.m.
14. Georgia Tech (3–2, 1–2)
After opening the season with an upset victory over then-No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland, the Yellow Jackets have lost their second straight ACC matchup—falling to then-No. 19 Louisville 31–19 in their most recent game. Quarterback Haynes King threw for 312 passing yards, but Georgia Tech just didn’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up with Louisville. Considering the Yellow Jackets still have Notre Dame, Miami, and No. 2-ranked Georgia on the schedule, they will need to stack wins quickly to remain relevant in the ACC title chase.
Next up: Duke, Saturday, Oct. 5, 8:00 p.m.
15. Virginia Tech (2–2)
In Week 4, the Hokies suffered their second loss of the season against Rutgers 26–23. Despite Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten rushing for 122 yards and three touchdowns, a late field goal from the Scarlet Knights put the game to bed. The Hokies weren’t able to get much going offensively through the air, with quarterback Kyron Drones throwing for only 137 yards and an interception. This squad will need to make some adjustments quickly with a short week and a top-10 opponent next on the schedule.
Next up: Miami, Friday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.
16. Florida State (1–3, 1–2)
After three weeks of disappointing losses, the Seminoles finally got their much-needed first win of the season by taking down California 14–9. FSU head coach Mike Norvell’s bend-don’t-break defense was up to the challenge and didn’t let its opponent reach the endzone. Offensively, DJ Uiagalelei didn’t look strong but his 177 passing yards and one passing touchdown was just enough to give the Seminoles their first victory. The Seminoles will need a bit more on both sides of the ball to get their second win of the season during their first true road ACC matchup next week in Dallas, Texas.
Next up: SMU, Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:00 p.m.
17. Wake Forest (1–2, 0–1)
Coming off an early bye, Wake Forest has fallen to the bottom of the ACC. The week prior, the Demon Deacons suffered a 34-point loss at the hands of then-No. 5 Ole Miss. A game against a top-five SEC opponent is tough to come away with a win, but the Demon Deacons have a good chance to rebound and get back to .500 in a home game this upcoming weekend against a Sun Belt opponent.
Next up: Louisiana, Saturday, Sept. 28, 3:30 p.m.
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