ACC Power Rankings After Week 3: Where Wolfpack Sits
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- With conference games in full swing, a clearer picture of the power structure in the ACC has begun to emerge.
After the third week of the season, three teams from the ACC were ranked in the AP top 25, two of which finished in the top 10 teams. While NC State is off to a perfect 3-0 start, the Wolfpack hasn't done enough the crack the top 25 teams in the nation. However, other teams have begun to take notice of the Wolfpack as a potential threat in the ACC if things continue to go well.
Where does NC State fall amongst the other ACC teams?
Bottom of the Pack
17. Virginia Tech (0-3, 0-0)
The Brent Pry era officially came to an end in Blacksburg after the Hokies lost to Old Dominion in their home stadium Saturday. Despite showing some promise in the loss to South Carolina, Virginia Tech has been nothing short of a disaster through the first three weeks of the 2025 season. The decision makers at the university saw enough and pulled the plug, firing Pry on the Sunday after the third loss.
16. Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1)
The Demon Deacons are rebuilding. While they started the season 2-0 under first-year head coach Jake Dickert, the roster lacks depth at critical positions and they narrowly escaped a loss to Kennesaw State in the season opener. NC State exposed the defensive shortcomings with a dominant rushing performance and contained Wake Forest's star running back, Demond Claiborne. Dickert and his team have a bye week to regroup, but the schedule going forward includes some of the ACC's best.
15. Boston College (1-2, 0-1)
Year two of the Bill O'Brien tenure at Boston College was always going to be difficult, given how much talent the team lost to the next level from a season ago. However, sophomore quarterback Dylan Lonergan started nicely in the team's first two games. It all fell apart in a cross-country road trip to Stanford, as turned the ball over in a critical spot and the Eagle offense struggled mightily against a lowly Cardinal defense.
14. Stanford (1-2, 1-0)
The Cardinal got its first win of the season over Boston College, a major surprise to many covering the ACC and college football. The geographic advantage Stanford has at home could be a factor in some of their games against other poor ACC schools. Head coach Frank Reich and general manager Andrew Luck also might have themselves a running back in Micah Ford. The near-future remains bleak on the farm, however.
A Little Better, But Still Not Great
13. North Carolina (2-1, 0-0)
The week one debacle seems to be in the rearview for the Tar Heels, but things still haven't been impressive in Chapel Hill. North Carolina faced Charlotte and Richmond in back-to-back weeks, taking care of business in both. Questions still remain about the potency of the offense. 'Chapel Bill' has a series of big tests coming up, with Central Florida this week, followed by Clemson, a trip to Cal and a home game against Virginia.
12. Syracuse (2-1, 0-0)
The Orange started the season with a major test against Tennessee and failed. A disappointing performance against UConn certainly rang some alarm bells, but quarterback Steve Angeli has looked the part of a starter in key moments. Syracuse was another school that lost significant talent to the next level and was likely to regress in 2025. So far, that seems to be the case.
Underachieving Early
11. Duke (1-2, 0-0)
With high expectations after getting quarterback Darian Mensah, the Blue Devils have not lived up to the billing. Oddly enough, the defense, head coach Manny Diaz's usual specialty, has struggled in the early-season matchups. In Duke's defense, it has faced a now-top 10 Illinois team and a strong Tulane squad with a major desire to spoil Mensah's return to New Orleans. The Blue Devils could still turn things around and will mark a major early-season test for NC State in Week Four.
10. Pitt (2-1, 0-0)
The Panthers showed some warts in the loss in the Backyard Brawl rivalry. The team racked up over 100 penalty yards and struggled mightily to run the ball. West Virginia racked up 174 rushing yards on the Panther defense. A tough test against Louisville could answer more questions about Pitt this weekend.
Surprises, Good and Bad
9. Virginia (2-1, 0-0)
Aside from the narrow 'non-conference' loss to NC State, Virginia has looked the part of a massively improved team in 2025. Quarterback Chandler Morris has been a great fit in head coach Tony Elliott's system and the Cavaliers could pose some problems for teams with higher hopes in the conference.
8. SMU (2-1, 0-0)
The Mustangs benefitted from a light schedule in 2024 and rode their way to a College Football Playoff bid. The 2025 schedule doesn't provide the same opportunity and SMU already picked up a loss against Baylor. Now, the Mustangs will face a strong TCU team in a major rivalry and head into ACC play after that, where both Miami and Clemson await.
7. California (3-0, 0-0)
The Golden Bears have been a pleasant surprise early in 2025. Saturday's win over Minnesota catapulted Cal into the conversation of potentially being a dark horse to go 9-0 to start the season, given the seemingly light schedule in conference play. Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the country in his first three games. The Bears will go as far as their signal caller can take them, but the future looks bright.
6. NC State (3-0, 1-0)
There's the Pack. Head coach Dave Doeren and his revamped NC State squad have seen it all in the first three games. The team's massively improved offense, led by the sophomore duo of CJ Bailey at quarterback and Hollywood Smothers at running back, has been one of the better units in the ACC in key moments. If the defense can solve some of its first-half woes, the Wolfpack could play spoiler to a few teams higher in the standings throughout the season.
5. Clemson (1-2, 0-1)
Is this your Clemson of old? No, those days are gone. However, coach Dabo Swinney still has far too much talent on this roster to suffer a complete collapse in 2025. The Tigers have some opportunities to turn things around, but their playoff hopes and potentially hopes of playing in an ACC Championship now rest in the hands of others.
The Cream of the Crop
4. Louisville (2-0, 0-0)
The Cardinals had the week off, but already survived a tricky test against James Madison in their second game. Head coach Jeff Brohm will likely only help quarterback Miller Moss improve over the course of the season.
3. Florida State (2-0, 0-0)
The nation seems convinced after the huge upset of Alabama and a monster win over East Texas A&M that the Seminoles are back. Despite sitting out for a week, Florida State moved up to No. 7 in the country on the AP poll. Coach Mike Norvell and his team will have another tune-up game against Kent State before starting the ACC slate.
2. Georgia Tech (3-0, 1-0)
The Yellow Jackets pulled off a stunner, beating Clemson as the clock expired with a field goal. Led by seemingly invincible quarterback Haynes King, things are clicking across the board for Brent Key and Georgia Tech so far. The Yellow Jackets might not face another significant test until the end of the season, when they'll face Georgia in 'Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.'
1. Miami (3-0, 0-0)
The Hurricanes have stormed out of the gate to start the 2025 season. Georgia transfer Carson Beck continued his seamless transition with another strong performance against South Florida on Saturday. For now, Miami looks to be the team to beat in the ACC ... And they might not have much competition.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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