The ACC took a page out of the old Pac-12 After Dark script. Chaos took place in Week 11 as some of the top teams went down and there are now four teams that are 5-1 in the conference. Wake just handed Virginia its first ACC loss, SMU remains above Miami, and Cal now sits on a fresh top-15 win over Louisville. Georgia Tech still controls its future, but the NC State result is the lurking tiebreaker if the Yellow Jackets slip again. Let's take a deeper look into the ACC after Week 11.
1. Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC)
Coming off a bye week, Georgia Tech owns the ACC's best overall record. But, they don't have a ton of quality wins, and the NC State loss two weeks ago is one they can't hide from. Within the conference, they compare well, outside of the ACC, Georgia Tech is not respected. The path to the ACC Championship game remains manageable with Boston College up next and a late home date with Pitt.
2. Virginia (8-2, 5-1)
Wake Forest kicked and covered them up in Charlottesville, winning 16-9 on an 88-yard punt return and three long field goals. Chandler Morris left hurt, Daniel Kaelin finished, and the Hoos were kept out of the end zone for the first time since 2022. Duke is next, and the road to an ACC title shot just got tougher.
3. Pitt (7-2, 5-1)
Pitt was on a bye week, and with everything that happened in Week 10, that may hvae been for the best. The last time we saw the Panthers was in a 35-20 road win at Stanford behind 304 passing yards and three TDs from Mason Heintschel. Since then, the CFP committee ranked them in the Top 25 and they have a better shot at the ACC title game. Although it should be noted that it won't be easy as Pitt goes against Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Miami to end the season.
4. SMU (7-3, 5-1)
Rhett Lashlee's group is trending in the right direction. First they stunned No. 10 Miami in OT with a walk-off T.J. Harden TD after Ahmaad Moses’ OT goal-line pick. Then they steamrolled Boston College 45-13 with Kevin Jennings throwing for 326 and three scores. The Mustangs have head-to-head on Miami and now head into their bye before facing off against Louisville.
5. Miami (7-2, 3-2)
The Hurricanes bounced back after their loss to SMU. Carson Beck crossed 10,000 career passing yards, the defense posted seven sacks, and Miami handled Syracuse 38-10 with a pick-six and a gadget TD to an offensive lineman. Head-to-head keeps them behind SMU, and NC State comes to Hard Rock next in a trap spot historically for Miami.
6. California (6-4, 3-3)
Head-to-head rules here. Cal walked into Louisville and won 29-26 in overtime on fourth down, with freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele hitting Jacob De Jesus for the winner. That's Cal's first ranked win in five years and it jumps the Bears above the Cards this week.
7. Louisville (7-2, 4-2)
The Cards had it at home and let it slip in OT. A 29-26 loss to Cal dents their ACC title hopes and drops them behind the Bears on head-to-head. They’re still balanced enough to come back, but they need help now. There was some consideration into slotting both Cal and Louisville above Miami but the Hurricanes are a more talented team with better ranked wins.
8. Wake Forest (6-3, 3-3)
That was a program win. Wake Forest beat No. 12 Virginia 16-9 with an 88-yard punt return TD and multiple long FG's. It was an impressive performance after getting destroyed 42-7 at the hands of Florida State just the week prior. They are now bowl eligible and also have a win over SMU.
9. Duke (5-4, 4-1)
The record in league play still looks good and they are more than just alive in the ACC title game hunt, but a 37-34 non-conference loss at UConn is bad. Duke has a nice win against Cal and escaped against Clemson, but every other time this team has been tested — Georgia Tech, Illinois, Tulane — they have failed.
10. Clemson (4-5, 3-4)
The Tigers showed signs of life in the battle of ACC-mid. Cade Klubnik accounted for two scores and the Tigers beat Florida State 24-10 for their first home win in two months. It keeps bowl hopes in play and gives Dabo's group a little momentum going into Louisville next week.
11. NC State (5-4, 2-3)
NC State was on a bye week, but the resume still carries the best single win in the ACC: a 48-36 takedown of undefeated Georgia Tech with 583 total yards and eight scores on ten drives. That result is why the Pack don’t slide despite a middling ACC mark, and it looms large as they head to Miami.
12. North Carolina (4-5, 2-3)
The defense rang up nine sacks and Gio Lopez threw two second-half TDs to beat Stanford 20-15. That's two straight and a clean head-to-head over the Cardinal. Wake Forest in Winston-Salem will tell us how real the defensive uptick is.
13. Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3)
VT got a bye week and time to reset. The Hokies have remained competitive this season but they get Miami and Virginia in the last two games of the year. A bowl game looks unlikely.
14. Stanford (3-7, 2-5)
Elijah Brown is the new QB1, and he battled but got sacked nine times in a 20-15 loss at UNC. The midseason change is a reset more than an attempt to make a run, but there are some positives to take from this season for Stanford.
15. Florida State (4-5, 1-5)
The Noles fell 24-10 at Clemson, posting a season-low in points and missing a chance to flip momentum out of the bye. Bowl math is now tight. We also honor the head-to-head loss to Stanford here.
16. Syracuse (3-7, 1-6)
It is now six straight losses after the 38-10 defeat at Miami, for Syracuse. The Orange have played hard, but the injuries and offense have been their demise.
17. Boston College (1-9, 0-6)
The Red Bandana Game turned one-sided fast. SMU hung 45 points on them with 326 yards and three TDs from Kevin Jennings, as BC's losing streak hit nine. Georgia Tech is next, which is a rough bounce-back assignment.