1. No. 6 Miami (6–0, 2–0 Atlantic Coast)
Miami continues its power rankings reign in the ACC, earning first place position once again. The Hurricanes took their first bye week this past Saturday, but do not expect any signs of decline from their fiery offense. Cam Ward and co. rank first in the nation for total yards per game and points per game. Miami returns to the field this week against Louisville as it looks to maintain its undefeated record.
Next Up: Louisville, Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.
2. No. 10 Clemson (5–1, 4–0)
Clemson added another dominant win to its 2024 campaign after a 49–14 win over Wake Forest last week. The Tigers have completely turned their season around after its ugly season-opening loss to Georgia, averaging 48.6 points per game since then. Dabo Swinney has experience with staying competitive in the second half of the season, giving Clemson high hopes for a playoff push. They kick off Week 8 in Death Valley welcoming Virginia.
Next Up: Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.
3. No. 21 Southern Methodist (5–1, 2–0)
Southern Methodist rose four spots in the Top 25 after being idle on Saturday. The former AAC squad has competed well in its new conference, taking down Florida State and then-No. 22 Louisville. The Mustangs haven’t been ranked higher than No. 15 since 1985, and with only one ranked opponent in Pittsburgh remaining on their schedule, SMU wants to make enough noise to change that narrative.
Next Up: Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 19, 8:00 p.m.
4. No. 20 Pittsburgh (6–0, 2–0)
Pittsburgh squeaked by California 17–15 in their matchup last week behind two rushing touchdowns from Desmond Reid. Quarterback Eli Holstein stayed quiet versus the Golden Bears, gathering only 133 passing yards and tossing two interceptions. The defense’s six sacks and 11 tackles for loss was a much-needed victory for them.
Next Up: Syracuse, Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
5. Syracuse (5–1, 2–1)
Since its heartbreaking, last-second loss to Stanford, Syracuse has been on a roll. Kyle McCord looked impressive once again, totaling 346 yards in the air and two touchdowns against NC State. Wide receiver Jackson Meeks continues to cement himself as an asset to this offense, snagging 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. This win delivered 13 AP Poll votes for the Orange, good for No. 33 in the nation. Syracuse is approaching its biggest game of the season thus far, taking on ACC foe No. 20 Pittsburgh.
Next Up: No. 20 Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
6. Louisville (4–2, 2–1)
Louisville secured a bounce-back win against Virginia, winning 24–20 after a touchdown in the final two minutes. The Cardinals just barely avoided their third straight loss after dropping games to then-No. 16 Notre Dame and then-unranked SMU. After Louisville conceded 13 unanswered points in the second half, wide receiver Jamari Johnson’s five-yard snag in the end zone inside the two-minute mark ended up as the winning play. Louisville takes on No. 6 Miami this Saturday in its biggest battle yet.
Next Up: No. 6 Miami, Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.
7. Georgia Tech (5–2, 3–2)
Jamal Haynes’ 68-yard run with 16 seconds left put an exclamation point on Georgia Tech’s 41–34 victory over North Carolina last week. The Yellow Jackets’ ground game commanded this matchup, with Haynes putting up 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Haynes King tabbed 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as well. Georgia Tech has a test itself this week, inviting No. 12 Notre Dame to Atlanta for a showdown.
Next Up: No. 12 Notre Dame, Saturday, Oct. 19, 3:30 p.m.
8. Virginia (4–2, 2–1)
Virginia suffered a tough 24–20 loss to Louisville last weekend after a comeback win over Boston College the week prior. The duo of quarterback Anthony Colandrea and wide receiver Malachi Fields had another good showing, with Colandrea delivering 279 yards and a touchdown and Fields leading the ACC in Week 7 for receiving yards with 129. It’s not going to get much easier for the Cavaliers as they travel to No. 10 Clemson for a conference clash.
Next Up: No. 10 Clemson, Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.
9. Boston College (4–2, 1–1)
The Eagles took some much needed rest in Week 7 after a collapse against Virginia the week prior. BC still sits atop the best ACC defenses, claiming the first place spot for least total points allowed per game. Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku has also rounded up nine sacks for second most in the nation. The Eagles appear to have put full trust into head coach Bill O’Brien to fire up this squad for a loaded second-half schedule.
Next Up: Virginia Tech, Thursday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.
10. Duke (5–1, 1–1)
Duke entered its bye week after suffering its first loss of the season in Week 6 versus Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils haven’t visited the ACC Championship since 2013, but set themselves up nicely after a 5–0 start before their 24–14 loss in Atlanta. Quarterback Maalik Murphy has shown some bright spots, tossing 11 touchdowns through Duke’s first four games, but it will be interesting to see if the rest of the offense can keep up for their title chances to stay alive.
Next Up: Florida State, Friday, Oct. 18, 7:00 p.m.
11. Virginia Tech (3–3, 1–1)
Virginia Tech also spent last Saturday on the couch, gearing up for some Thursday night football with BC. Dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten are picking up where they left off last year, both holding top-10 positions in the ACC for passing and rushing yards. Even with this, the Hokies haven’t quite lived up to their preseason expectations, but still have time to make up for it with No. 10 Clemson circled on the calendar.
Next Up: BC, Thursday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.
12. California (3–3, 0–3)
Cal squandered its second loss in a row to a top-25 team, falling 15–17 to then-No. 22 Pitt. Outside of their agonizing loss to then-No. 8 Miami, the Golden Bears have only allowed 13.6 points per game, which would put them at No. 9 in the nation. The inaugural-ACC contenders are still looking for their first win in their new conference after dropping their third-straight loss. They still have two clashes left with the other new ACC arrivals, Stanford and No. 21 SMU.
Next Up: NC State, Saturday, Oct. 19, 3:30 p.m.
13. NC State (3–4, 0–3)
NC State showed some fight in the fourth quarter of its matchup last week with Syracuse, but ultimately took a 24–17 loss. After once being a top-25 team, the Wolfpack have to feel a little disappointed with its position, still searching for its first ACC win of the season as well. NC State has already gotten past the hearty part of their schedule, taking losses to then-No. 14 Tennessee and then-No. 21 Clemson. NC State or California will finally get its first conference win as they match up this Saturday.
Next Up: California, Saturday, Oct. 19, 3:30 p.m.
14. North Carolina (3–4, 0–3)
A high-scoring 41–34 loss to Georgia Tech last week handed the Tar Heels their fourth-straight loss. North Carolina is another team still looking for an ACC win, a much different scene from their 6–0 start last year. It’s time for this squad to completely flip the season around, putting much of the weight on running back Omarion Hampton’s shoulders, who has the most carries in the nation to go along with his third-best 901 rushing yards.
Next Up: Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 12:00 p.m.
15. Wake Forest (2–4, 1–2)
Wake Forest failed to keep its spark alive after breaking a three-game skid, getting demolished 49–14 by No. 10 Clemson. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier matched his two touchdowns thrown with two interceptions and the defense allowed 566 total yards. Even if the Demon Deacons have lost hope to turn this season around, the defense must start avoiding these embarrassing losses as they fall toward the bottom of the ACC for nearly every statistic.
Next Up: UConn, Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.
16. Stanford (2–4, 1–2)
Stanford was set up for disaster against then-No. 12 Notre Dame, losing 49–7 after coming off two prior losses. The Cardinal is clinging on to its walk-off win versus Syracuse in Week 3, with its only other win coming against FCS opponent Cal Poly. Stanford’s third game of their last four will be against a top-25 team on Saturday night with No. 21 SMU traveling out West.
Next Up: No. 21 Southern Methodist, Saturday, Oct. 19, 8:00 p.m.
17. Florida State (1–5, 1–4)
FSU enjoyed a week off, turning much of the national attention away from its early-season struggles. The Seminoles fear DJ Uiagalelei may be out for the rest of the season after receiving surgery on his hand, but the FSU faithful might not be too upset about this. Uiagalelei sits atop the ACC for interceptions and tied with two others even after missing a game. Backup quarterback Brock Glenn and his team will visit Durham, N.C., for a date with Duke.
Next Up: Duke, Friday, Oct. 18, 7:00 p.m.
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