Week 4 ACC Power Rankings: Where Is Georgia Tech After Their Week Three Win?

How do the ACC power rankings look after a number of key results in week three?

Sep 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key celebrates after a victory over the Mercer Bears at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week three is in the books and there were a number of interesting results in the ACC.

Louisville scored a massive win over SMU, giving them a clear path to Charlotte. Miami survived a scare from Wake Forest to move to 3-0 and Duke continues to look like a surprise contender in the conference.

But there were some low moments as well. NC State lost in the most spectacular fashion imaginable, Florida State could not hold a big lead vs Alabama, and Boston College only beat Maine by six points.

So how did these results shake up the rankings?

17. Stanford (1-2, 0-2). Last week: 15

Coming off a bye, this was a disappointing result for Stanford to go on the road and get blown out by Duke. The Cardinal were underdogs, but the game was non-competitive and a tough look for Tavita Pritchard's team. Stanford hosts Georgia Tech next Saturday.

16. Boston College (2-1, 0-0). Last week: 17

A win's a win, but that is one depressing win if you are a Boston College fan. The Eagles had to scratch and claw to put away Maine and it did not give a lot of reason to believe this team has many more victories left in them. They open ACC play next Saturday at home vs Virginia Tech.

15. NC State (1-2, 0-1). Last week: 12

When you lose a game like the Wolfpack did, there is not a lot to be said. NC State looked to have a solid win on the road against Vanderbilt, but a horrible blunder gave the Commodores the game and dropped NC State to 1-2. They host App State next weekend.

14. Syracuse (1-2, 0-2). Last week: 14

It has not been a good start to conference play for Syracuse. The Orange have not gotten the production they got early last season from Steve Angeli and they have not been able to find really any source of offense. The Orange get an early bye week next week and then hope to start turning things around in October.

13. Georgia Tech (1-2, 0-0). Last week: 13

Sep 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Mercer Bears in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was not perfect by any means, but Georgia Tech got the win over Mercer, and they have won their first game of the 2026 season. Alberto Mendoza had a solid day, Justice Haynes ran for over 140 yards, and the defense forced two turnovers and sacked the quarterback three times. The Yellow Jackets open ACC play next weekend on the road at Stanford.

12. Florida State (1-2, 0-1). Last week: 11

Credit to Florida State for coming out and playing Alabama a lot tougher than most anticipated, but a loss is a loss at the end of the day and the Seminoles defense continues to have lots of problems. The seat is not getting any cooler for Mike Norvell, but the good news is that they should get a win next week vs Central Arkansas.

11. North Carolina (2-1, 0-1). Last week: 8

What a disappointing result for the Tar Heels. North Carolina led big early on against Clemson and it looked like a 3-0 start was in reach for Bill Belichick's team, but they could not put the Tigers away and choked an opportunity for a nice win. The Tar Heels are off next week and then face Notre Dame.

10. Clemson (2-1, 1-0). Last week: 16

Sep 19, 2026; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney greets players before the game against University of North Carolina Tar Heels Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Tumlin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Credit where it is due, Clemson came back to win and opened ACC play with a win over North Carolina. It was another ugly offensive game for the Tigers, but their defense played well and can win them some games in this conference. They have a West Coast trip next Friday to California as they try to improve to 3-1.

9. California (2-1, 1-0). Last week: 9

Cal cruised this weekend against Wagner and moved to 2-1 in the Tosh Lupoi era. It was a great day for Jaron-Keawe Sagopulutele and he looked more comfortable in the offense. The Golden Bears host Clemson next Friday night.

8. Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1). Last week: 10

Wake Forest trailed Miami 31-7 on Friday night, but they fought back and cut the lead to 31-20 and had chances to make it an even closer game. Their defense shut down the prolific Miami offense in the second half and quarterback Gio Lopez had a strong night against a depleted Miami secondary. Wake has a chance to score a major win next week vs Louisville.

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

What a disappointing night in Charlotte for Virginia. The Cavaliers came in as big favorites against West Virginia, but their defense could not slow down the high-powered attack from the Mountaineers. This might be a needed wake-up call for UVA and they will look to rebound next weekend at home vs Delaware.

6. Pittsburgh (3-0, 1-0)

The Panthers took down Syracuse at home on Thursday night, despite an off game from quarterback Mason Heintschel. The defense was able to force Syracuse to make mistakes and the Panthers took advantage in a relatively breezy win. Pitt should be able to move to 4-0 next week against Bucknell.

5. Duke (3-0, 1-0)

Don't look now, but Duke is getting hot. The Blue Devils followed their win over Illinois with a win blowout win over Stanford and running back Nate Sheppard continues to look like one of the best players in the country, not just one of the top running backs. Duke should be 4-0 after the host William & Mary next week.

4. SMU (2-1, 1-1)

In one of the most entertaining games of the weekend, SMU could not keep up with Louisville and lost one of the biggest games of the year in the ACC. That is a significant loss for the Mustangs, who now will lose the tiebreaker over the Cardinals and Louisville has a very manageable ACC slate left in front of them. The Mustangs will rebound next week against Missouri State.

3. Virginia Tech (3-0, 0-0)

The defense did not have an elite night, but this was a great win for James Franklin and Virginia Tech. Ethan Grunkemeyer looks like an NFL type of quarterback, the running game has been fantastic, and Luke Reynolds is one of the best tight ends in the country. It has been a breezy start for the Hokies and they begin ACC play on the road next week vs Boston College.

2. Louisville (2-1, 1-0)

Louisville got a massive win on Saturday against SMU and now the Cardinals should be seen as the biggest threat in the ACC to Miami and don't forget, Jeff Brohm is 2-1 against Mario Cristobal and beat the Hurricanes last year. Can Louisville avoid the let down spot at home next week against Wake Forest?

1. Miami (3-0, 2-0)

The Hurricanes were tested in a big way on Friday against Wake Forest, but came out with a win. The bad news for Miami is that the injuries are starting to pile up, with Mark Fletcher, Malachi Toney, and three defensive backs all being injured. This is still the most talented team in the conference and this type of game can be useful as a learning experience for a team that is still learning how to play with each other. Miami hosts Central Michigan next week.