Miami remains firmly in control of the ACC after a dominant 52-23 victory over Pittsburgh, but the rest of the conference experienced another week of major changes. Here are the updated ACC power rankings following Week 8.
Atlantic Coast Conference
1. Miami (7-0, 5-0 ACC) | Previous: 1
Miami answered any questions raised by its narrow victory over Florida State by dismantling Pitt 52-23.
Malachi Toney broke the program's single-game receptions record with 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Darian Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns, while Javian Mallory added two rushing scores. Miami scored on seven of its first eight possessions and converted 10 of 15 third downs.
The Hurricanes have scored at least 33 points in every game this season and remain the only undefeated team in ACC play. Their next challenge is a trip to North Carolina before the highly anticipated showdown at Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
- Week 1: W at Stanford, 45-6
- Week 2: W vs. Florida A&M, 77-7
- Week 3: W at Wake Forest, 33-20
- Week 4: W vs. Central Michigan, 52-3
- Week 5: W at Clemson, 41-13
- Week 6: Bye
- Week 7: W vs. Florida State, 43-35 (2OT)
- Week 8: W vs. Pitt, 52-23
Next: at North Carolina (Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)
2. Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1 ACC) | Previous: 2
Wake Forest did not play this weekend, but there is no reason to move the Demon Deacons from the No. 2 spot.
Their only loss remains a 33-20 defeat against Miami, and they have won four consecutive games since then by a combined score of 166-51. That stretch includes a road victory over Louisville, a 38-14 win against NC State and a 41-7 demolition of California. The Demon Deacons are also the only team to have held Miami below 40 points this season.
- Week 1: W vs. Akron, 38-16
- Week 2: W at Purdue, 38-36 (2OT)
- Week 3: L vs. Miami, 33-20
- Week 4: W at Louisville, 30-27
- Week 5: W vs. Stanford, 57-3
- Week 6: W at NC State, 38-14
- Week 7: W at California, 41-7
- Week 8: Bye
Next: Virginia (Oct. 31, 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2)
3. SMU (6-1, 4-1 ACC) | Previous: 4
SMU moves back into the top three after one of its most impressive performances of the season.
The Mustangs actually trailed California 20-17 at halftime before scoring 42 unanswered points in the second half to win 59-20. Kevin Jennings threw three touchdowns and became SMU's career passing touchdowns leader, while Kendrick Raphael rushed for 104 yards and accounted for three scores.
SMU has won four straight games since losing 41-31 at Louisville, and its only defeat is the biggest argument against moving the Mustangs above Wake Forest. Still, at 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference, SMU has a much stronger record than the Cardinals and deserves to move ahead of them.
- Week 1: W at Florida State, 27-24
- Week 2: W vs. UC Davis, 56-10
- Week 3: L at Louisville, 41-31
- Week 4: W vs. Missouri State, 34-24
- Week 5: W vs. Boston College, 25-16
- Week 6: Bye
- Week 7: W vs. Virginia, 23-13
- Week 8: W vs. California, 59-20
Next: at Syracuse (Oct. 31, noon ET, ESPN2)
4. Louisville (4-3, 3-2 ACC) | Previous: 3
Louisville drops one spot despite having the week off, primarily because SMU's performance against California was too impressive to ignore.
The Cardinals still have a strong argument for being among the conference's best teams. They defeated SMU head-to-head, and all three of their losses came by exactly three points against Ole Miss, Wake Forest and NC State.
Louisville also entered its bye riding consecutive victories over Florida State and Syracuse, scoring a combined 78 points. The Cardinals have a more difficult path to the ACC championship game than the teams ahead of them, but their 4-3 record does not fully reflect how competitive they have been.
- Week 1: L vs. Ole Miss, 41-38 (Nashville)
- Week 2: W vs. Villanova, 59-13
- Week 3: W vs. SMU, 41-31
- Week 4: L vs. Wake Forest, 30-27
- Week 5: L at NC State, 31-28
- Week 6: W vs. Florida State, 44-20
- Week 7: W at Syracuse, 34-26
- Week 8: Bye
Next: Stanford (Oct. 31, 3:15 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
5. Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) | Previous: 8
Virginia Tech has officially worked its way into the ACC's upper tier.
The Hokies went into Death Valley and defeated Clemson 20-16, earning their first victory over the Tigers since 2007. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw two touchdown passes to Luke Reynolds, including the game-winner on fourth-and-1 with under two minutes remaining.
Virginia Tech managed only 234 yards of offense and surrendered six sacks, but James Franklin's team found a way to win a difficult road game. VT's two losses also came by a combined seven points against Pitt and California. At 6-2 overall, the Hokies have a much stronger resume than they did just two weeks ago.
- Week 1: W vs. VMI, 73-3
- Week 2: W vs. Old Dominion, 44-21
- Week 3: W at Maryland, 35-26
- Week 4: W at Boston College, 21-14
- Week 5: L vs. Pitt, 35-33
- Week 6: L at California, 25-20
- Week 7: W vs. Georgia Tech, 34-24
- Week 8: W at Clemson, 20-16
Next: Bye (Nov. 6 at SMU)
6. Duke (5-2, 2-2 ACC) | Previous: 7
Duke finally snapped its two-game losing streak, although it needed some late-game creativity to do it.
The Blue Devils trailed Virginia 16-13 with less than two minutes remaining before running back Nate Sheppard threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brody Keefe with just over one minute left. Duke intercepted Beau Pribula on the ensuing possession to preserve the 19-16 victory.
The win moved Duke to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play (both of their losses came by a combined seven points against Georgia Tech and North Carolina).
- Week 1: W vs. Tulane, 17-3
- Week 2: W at Illinois, 31-27
- Week 3: W vs. Stanford, 35-7
- Week 4: W vs. William & Mary, 62-7
- Week 5: Bye
- Week 6: L at Georgia Tech, 28-25
- Week 7: L vs. North Carolina, 24-20
- Week 8: W at Virginia, 19-16
Next: Boston College (Oct. 31, noon ET, The CW)
7. Boston College (4-3, 2-2 ACC) | Previous: 9
Boston College might be the most improved team in the ACC over the past two weeks.
After beating Pitt 27-21, the Eagles traveled to Georgia Tech and dominated the Yellow Jackets 49-27 for their second consecutive conference victory. Boston College rushed for 399 yards and five touchdowns, with Bo MacCormack III leading the way with 155 yards and three scores on 20 carries.
The defense also contributed a touchdown when Charlie Comella returned an interception 47 yards. The Eagles have now scored 76 points across their last two games after averaging just 19.2 points during their first five contests.
- Week 1: L at Cincinnati, 34-15
- Week 2: W vs. Rutgers, 28-21
- Week 3: W vs. Maine, 22-16
- Week 4: L vs. Virginia Tech, 21-14
- Week 5: L at SMU, 25-16
- Week 6: Bye
- Week 7: W vs. Pitt, 27-21
- Week 8: W at Georgia Tech, 49-27
Next: at Duke (Oct. 31, noon ET, The CW)
8. Clemson (4-3, 2-2 ACC) | Previous: 5
Clemson takes a significant tumble after another disappointing performance in a game it had an opportunity to win.
The Tigers held Virginia Tech to just 234 total yards and recorded six sacks, but still lost 20-16 after allowing a late touchdown. Clemson also committed three costly penalties on the Hokies' winning drive.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds completed 20 of 26 passes for 153 yards and rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Clemson's offense, however, struggled to finish drives and was held to 288 total yards.
The Tigers are now 4-3, and their three defeats have come against LSU, Miami and Virginia Tech. They still own head-to-head victories over North Carolina and California.
- Week 1: L at LSU, 51-10
- Week 2: W vs. Georgia Southern, 22-7
- Week 3: W vs. North Carolina, 28-20
- Week 4: W at California, 24-10
- Week 5: L vs. Miami, 41-13
- Week 6: Bye
- Week 7: W vs. Charleston Southern, 37-0
- Week 8: L vs. Virginia Tech, 20-16
Next: at Florida State (Oct. 31, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
9. North Carolina (4-3, 2-2 ACC) | Previous: 6
North Carolina appeared to be turning its season around after consecutive road victories over Pitt and Duke, but that momentum disappeared Saturday night.
The Tar Heels suffered a stunning 31-30 overtime loss at home to Syracuse, which entered the game winless in ACC play and on an 11-game conference losing streak.
The Tar Heels have shown they can compete with quality opponents, but a home loss to a Syracuse team that had not won an ACC game since 2024 is difficult to overlook. Things will not get easier with undefeated Miami coming to Chapel Hill next weekend.
- Week 0: W vs. TCU, 15-10 (Dublin)
- Week 1: Bye
- Week 2: W vs. East Tennessee State, 35-3
- Week 3: L at Clemson, 28-20
- Week 4: Bye
- Week 5: L vs. Notre Dame, 37-26
- Week 6: W at Pitt, 21-17
- Week 7: W at Duke, 24-20
- Week 8: L vs. Syracuse, 31-30 (OT)
Next: Miami (Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)
10. Pitt (5-3, 2-3 ACC) | Previous: 10
The Panthers were completely overmatched in their 52-23 loss at Miami. The Hurricanes scored on seven of their first eight possessions, and Pitt had no answer for Malachi Toney.
Holden Geriner started at quarterback and completed 18 of 32 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. Corey Dailey also played, completing all three of his passes for 66 yards and a score.
Pitt has lost all three games since Mason Heintschel suffered his season-ending knee injury. Their offensive inconsistency and recent defensive struggles have made them difficult to rank any higher.
- Week 1: W vs. Miami (Ohio), 59-14
- Week 2: W vs. UCF, 12-7
- Week 3: W vs. Syracuse, 27-13
- Week 4: W vs. Bucknell, 59-0
- Week 5: W at Virginia Tech, 35-33
- Week 6: L vs. North Carolina, 21-17
- Week 7: L at Boston College, 27-21
- Week 8: L at Miami, 52-23
Next: Georgia Tech (Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
11. Florida State (3-4, 1-3 ACC) | Previous: 11
Florida State had the week off following its 43-35 double-overtime loss to Miami, and the Seminoles remain in the No. 11 spot.
The performance against Miami offered some encouragement after an inconsistent start to the season. However, Florida State is still 3-4 overall and has won just one of its four ACC games.
The Seminoles' 38-7 victory against Virginia is enough to keep them ahead of the Cavaliers, but they need to turn their competitive performances into victories.
- Week 0: W vs. New Mexico State, 34-17
- Week 1: L vs. SMU, 27-24
- Week 2: Bye
- Week 3: L at Alabama, 50-36
- Week 4: W vs. Central Arkansas, 34-7
- Week 5: W vs. Virginia, 38-7
- Week 6: L at Louisville, 44-20
- Week 7: L at Miami, 43-35 (2OT)
- Week 8: Bye
Next: Clemson (Oct. 31, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
12. Virginia (4-4, 2-3 ACC) | Previous: 12
Virginia has now lost consecutive games after falling to Duke on Friday night.
Virginia’s defense played well for most of the night despite missing some starters, but the offense struggled to capitalize. The Cavaliers were held to three points in the second half and dropped to 4-4 overall.
Virginia has been competitive in losses to SMU and Duke, but its 38-7 defeat against Florida State remains a major blemish. The Cavaliers now face Wake Forest on the road, giving them an opportunity to earn a statement win.
- Week 0: W vs. NC State, 34-8
- Week 1: Bye
- Week 2: W vs. Norfolk State, 59-3
- Week 3: L vs. West Virginia, 38-27 (Charlotte)
- Week 4: W vs. Delaware, 42-3
- Week 5: L at Florida State, 38-7
- Week 6: W vs. Syracuse, 28-25
- Week 7: L at SMU, 23-13
- Week 8: L vs. Duke, 19-16
Next: at Wake Forest (Oct. 31, 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2)
13. Stanford (4-4, 2-3 ACC) | Previous: 15
The Cardinal defeated NC State 31-28 on Friday night behind a strong performance from quarterback Davis Warren, who threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Micah Ford also added 150 rushing yards, while Nico Brown caught two touchdown passes.
The biggest concern remains Stanford's performances against stronger opponents. The Cardinal suffered blowout losses to Miami, Duke, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
- Week 0: W vs. Hawaii, 37-27
- Week 1: L vs. Miami, 45-6
- Week 2: Bye
- Week 3: L at Duke, 35-7
- Week 4: W vs. Georgia Tech, 34-27
- Week 5: L at Wake Forest, 57-3
- Week 6: L at Notre Dame, 58-7
- Week 7: W vs. Elon, 34-7
- Week 8: W vs. NC State, 31-28
Next: at Louisville (Oct. 31, 3:15 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
14. California (3-5, 2-3 ACC) | Previous: 13
California's season continues moving in the wrong direction after another lopsided defeat.
Cal failed to score in either of the final two quarters and has now been outscored 100-27 in consecutive games against Wake Forest and SMU.
The Golden Bears have victories over Virginia Tech and Syracuse, both of which look more impressive following this weekend's results. However, with five losses through eight games, the Golden Bears have very little margin for error if they hope to reach bowl eligibility.
- Week 1: L vs. UCLA, 45-24
- Week 2: W at Syracuse, 21-18
- Week 3: W vs. Wagner, 49-7
- Week 4: L vs. Clemson, 24-10
- Week 5: L at UNLV, 39-31
- Week 6: W vs. Virginia Tech, 25-20
- Week 7: L vs. Wake Forest, 41-7
- Week 8: L at SMU, 59-20
Next: at NC State (Oct. 31, noon ET, ACC Network)
15. Syracuse (3-4, 1-4 ACC) | Previous: 17
Syracuse finally escaped the bottom of the rankings after pulling off one of the ACC's biggest upsets this season.
Syracuse is still just 1-4 in ACC play, and its head-to-head loss to California keeps it below the Golden Bears. But the victory at North Carolina provides the Orange with their best result of the season and some momentum heading into a difficult matchup against SMU.
- Week 1: W vs. New Hampshire, 66-3
- Week 2: L vs. California, 21-18
- Week 3: L at Pitt, 27-13
- Week 4: Bye
- Week 5: W at UConn, 42-41 (OT)
- Week 6: L at Virginia, 28-25
- Week 7: L vs. Louisville, 34-26
- Week 8: W at North Carolina, 31-30 (OT)
Next: SMU (Oct. 31, noon ET, ESPN2)
16. NC State (3-4, 1-3 ACC) | Previous: 14
The Wolfpack entered Friday night's matchup against Stanford as the favorite but fell 31-28, dropping to 3-4 overall. CJ Bailey threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Will Wilson added two rushing scores.
NC State has now lost three of their four ACC games and have not won since Sept. 27.
- Week 0: L at Virginia, 34-8
- Week 1: Bye
- Week 2: W vs. Richmond, 73-0
- Week 3: L at Vanderbilt, 35-31
- Week 4: W vs. Appalachian State, 41-31
- Week 5: W vs. Louisville, 31-28
- Week 6: L vs. Wake Forest, 38-14
- Week 7: Bye
- Week 8: L at Stanford, 31-28
Next: California (Oct. 31, noon ET, ACC Network)
17. Georgia Tech (2-5, 1-3 ACC) | Previous: 16
Georgia Tech falls to the bottom of the ACC power rankings after suffering its second consecutive defeat.
Boston College rushed for 399 yards and five touchdowns, exposing major problems with Georgia Tech's run defense. Georgia Tech has now lost five of its first seven games, and its only victories came against Mercer and Duke. The win over Duke showed that the Yellow Jackets are capable of producing an upset, but their recent performances have offered little reason for optimism.
- Week 1: L vs. Colorado, 14-13
- Week 2: L vs. Tennessee, 45-24
- Week 3: W vs. Mercer, 44-11
- Week 4: L at Stanford, 34-27
- Week 5: Bye
- Week 6: W vs. Duke, 28-25
- Week 7: L at Virginia Tech, 34-24
- Week 8: L vs. Boston College, 49-27
Next: at Pitt (Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Add us as a preferred source on Google