Virginia is alone atop the ACC Power Rankings after a disciplined 31-21 win at California, while previously unbeaten Georgia Tech took its first loss in a 48-36 shootout at NC State. Louisville kept pace with a steady second-half win at Virginia Tech, and Pitt ripped through Stanford to extend its streak to five. Miami fell in overtime at SMU, dropping to .500 in ACC play as the Mustangs reinserted themselves into the chase.
The official top of the ACC standings: Virginia (5-0) leads, with Georgia Tech and Pitt at 5-1, then Louisville, SMU and Duke at 4-1; Miami follows at 2-2.
1. Virginia (8-1, 5-0 ACC)
The Cavaliers closed on a Kam Robinson pick-six with 0:34 left to finish off Cal, earning their first 8-1 start since 1990 and standing as the ACC's only unbeaten in conference play. Tony Elliott's group keeps winning tight games — and controls their own destiny the rest of the way.
2. Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1)
Haynes King went video-game mode (408 passing, 103 rushing) but Tech's defense yielded 579 yards as NC State ended the Yellow Jackets' perfect run. One loss doesn't all of the good things that GT has done this year, but the margin for error is gone with Pitt and Louisville coming in hot.
3. Pittsburgh (7-2, 5-1)
Mason Heintschel threw for 304 yards and three TDs and Pitt's front held Stanford to -10 rushing yards to notch a fifth straight win. The Panthers are quietly one of the better teams in the ACC but their next three games — Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Miami — will be their toughest test yet.
4. Louisville (7-1, 4-1)
The Cardinals outscored Virginia Tech 21-0 after halftime and ran for 235 yards to stay within striking distance at halftime. Jeff Brohm's squad remains relentless as they head down the home stretch. Louisville has Cal, Clemson, SMU and Kentucky up next.
5. Duke (5-3, 4-1)
Darian Mensah's late TD and two-point strike to Sahmir Hagans snapped a 45-year drought in Death Valley. The late-game miracle win now keeps Duke alive in the ACC hunt. At 4-1 in the ACC, the Blue Devils remain Virginia's toughest challenge in the regular season.
6. SMU (6-3, 4-1)
Kevin Jennings gutted out 365 yards and T.J. Harden's 1-yard walk-off capped a landmark upset of No. 10 Miami. It's the Mustangs' first win over a top-10 foe since 1983 and keeps them in the ACC race at 4-1.
7. Miami (6-2, 2-2)
The Hurricanes let chances slip away in Dallas and were punished in OT, with their November demons resurfacing in a game with multiple turnovers and missed red-zone chances. Miami's talent keeps the ceiling high, but the path moving forward now requires absolute chaos within the conference.
8. NC State (5-4, 2-3)
This is a season-defining upset for NC State: Jayden Scott powered a 196-yard ground game, C.J. Bailey threw for 340, and the Pack hung 48 on previously unbeaten Georgia Tech. The overall resume puts them in the middle of the pack in the ACC, but the arrow is trending upward.
9. Wake Forest (5-3, 2-3)
The Demon Deacons were blasted 42-7 at Florida State, with their offense stalling after a three-game win streak. Wake Forest remains a formidable opponent with a win over SMU and an OT loss to GT on the resume.
10. Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3)
Competitive for a half, the Hokies were overrun by Louisville after the break. Still, two conference wins, one of which is against Cal three weeks ago, keeps VT in the top-10.
11. California (5-4, 2-3)
Cal traded punches with Virginia before Robinson's late dagger. The Bears defend and run well enough to be a spoiler, but thay have lost three of their last four games.
12. Clemson (3-5, 2-4)
The 46-45 home loss to Duke stung, and Dabo Swinney drew a $10,000 league fine for postgame officiating comments. The Tigers season has completely spiraled out of control and making a bowl game is now the top priority.
13. Stanford (3-6, 2-4)
Stanford’s home streak ended as Pitt bottled the run and moved the ball when they wanted to. They play UNC next week and that game will decide which team is higher in next week's power rankings.
14. North Carolina (3-5, 1-3)
Bill Belichick notched his first ACC win at Syracuse behind Gio Lopez and Demon June as UNC scored the final 24 points. It was needed step forward after a string of close losses.
15. Florida State (4-4, 1-4)
The Seminoles finally snapped their ACC skid with a 42-7 demolition of Wake Forest, piling up five rushing TDs and a balanced day from Tommy Castellanos. Can they go on a run? They have Clemson, Virginia Tech, NC State and Florida the rest of the way.
16. Syracuse (3-6, 1-5)
Syracuse faded after a 10-3 lead and managed just 10 points in a fifth straight loss, this time to UNC on Friday night. Injuries and offensive inconsistency continue to bite them.
17. Boston College (1-8, 0-5)
BC stayed within a score deep into the third quarter before Notre Dame pulled away, but the Eagles remain winless in the ACC with eight straight losses overall.