2025 ACC Power Rankings: Week Two

Who sits atop the ACC power rankings after the first weekend of the season?

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) during the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Week one is now in the books.

It was a pretty good result from the ACC overall. Miami, Florida State, and Georgia Tech all won crucial non-conference games and Clemson played LSU down to the wire. The top of the ACC looks to be very interesting and that is before you get into good performances from teams like Duke.

So how have the power rankings changed from the preseason?

17. Stanford (0-1, 0-0 ACC). Last week: 17

Aug 23, 2025; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) reacts after making a touch down over Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during the second half at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

It is going to be a long year on the farm.

Stanford did not play in week one, but they still have a terrible loss to Hawaii in week zero. The quarterback was abysmal for the Cardinal and it looks like there is a real chance that this team goes 0-12. A road test at BYU is up next for Stanford.

16. Wake Forest (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 16

While they did win, it was not very inspiring. As three-touchdown favorites, Wake Forest nearly lost to Kennesaw State at home to start the Jake Dickert era. The offense struggled mightily, but the schedule is not exactly getting harder with Western Carolina coming up next.

15. Syracuse (0-1, 0-0): Last week- 14

Granted, they were playing Tennessee, but the Orange remain at the bottom of the ACC power rankings for now. The defense did not stand a chance at stopping the Volunteers and it took far too long for the Syracuse offense to get going. The Orange are on upset alert this weekend against UConn.

14. Virginia Tech (0-1, 0-0)- Last week: 9

Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) passes over South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Shawn Murphy (7) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Hokies played South Carolina tighter than most expected, but it is hard to have any confidence in this group going forward after what they showed on offense this past weekend. Is Saturday's game vs Vanderbilt a must win for the Hokies?

13. North Carolina (0-1, 0-0): Last week- 11

That was first drive was pretty good wasn't it?

After that it was mostly downhill for the Tar Heels. The offense could not find a groove and TCU wore them down. UNC should get a win vs Charlotte this weekend and it will be interesting to see how this team improves over the next few weeks.

12. Boston College (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 13

It was a good first weekend for Bill O'Brien and the Eagles. They faced an overmatched opponent and did what they were supposed to do, which was dominate Fordham. A tough road test at Michigan State is on deck for Boston College this Saturday.

11. California (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 15

Aug 30, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) throws the ball during the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

While Oregon State is not expected to be very good this season, this was a great opening win for Cal on the road. It was also a great debut for freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who made some impressive throws on the way to the win. The Golden Bears face Texas Southern this weekend.

10. Pittsburgh (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 10

Like Boston College, Pittsburgh had an overmatched FCS opponent on their schedule and they disposed of them quickly and looked pretty solid. Will they continue it this weekend vs Central Michigan?

9. Virginia (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 12

The Cavaliers had a great win over Coastal Carolina this past weekend to start 1-0 and from all indications, quarterback Chandler Morris did not suffer a serious injury after leaving in the third quarter of the game. Virginia has NC State (as a non-conference game) this weekend on the road.

8. NC State (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 8

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) prepares to throw the ball during the first half of the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

It was not always pretty, but NC State got the win over East Carolina on Friday night. The good news is that quarterback CJ Bailey looked really good in his second season and continues to get better. The Wolfpack have a very interesting matchup against Virginia this weekend.

7. Duke (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 6

It was a great debut for Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and the Blue Devils shook off a slow start against Elon to win convincingly. The Blue Devils play in one of the biggest games of the weekend on Saturday when they host No. 12 Illinois.

6. SMU (1-0, 0-0): Last week-5

The Mustangs drop one spot, but it was not because of anything they did on the field. They handled East Texas A&M with ease and the offense continues to look like one of the leagues best. They have a big non-conference game vs Baylor this weekend, another opportunity for the ACC to score a big non-conference win.

5. Georgia Tech (1-0, 0-0): Last week: 4

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It was far from perfect, but Georgia Tech got an important road win against Colorado to start their season. After turning it over three times on their first three possessions, the Yellow Jackets imposed their will on the ground with over 300 yards rushing and Haynes King scored three touchdowns with his legs. The Yellow Jackets host Gardner-Webb this weekend.

4. Louisville (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 3

While it was just against Eastern Kentucky, the Louisville offense looked explosive as usual and running back Isaac Brown was electric. The Cardinals are going to have to avoid the upset trap this Friday against James Madison, the favorite to win the Sun Belt this season.

3. Clemson (0-1, 0-0): Last week- 2

Clemson can still win the ACC, but it feels like they don't have the national championship type of team that the Tigers thought they had at the beginning of the season. Clemson lost to a good team, but once again looked very ordinary against high-level competition. The Tigers host Troy this weekend before a big road test at Georgia Tech arrives.

2. Florida State (1-0, 0-0): Last week- 7

What a win for Florida State. After a 2-10 season a year ago, the Seminoles completely flipped the script with their week one win over Alabama. The run game was awesome, the defense did not allow Alabama to get anything going after their first drive, and Tommy Castellanos looked like the perfect fit for the offense. There is a long way to go, but it sure looks like FSU is back to contending in the ACC.

1. Miami (1-0, 0-0)- Last week: 1

Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Hurricanes were my preseason ACC favorite and they did nothing to shake my confidence in that with their win over No. 6 Notre Dame on Sunday night. The defense looks much better, Carson Beck looked effective under center, and the offensive line might be the nation's best. They have to continue to play well from week to week, but this Miami squad looks built to contend.