Where NC State Lands in Week 10 ACC Power Rankings

RALEIGH — Dave Doeren and NC State began the 2025 season 3-0, but have since lost four of five games. At 4-4 with just one ACC win, the Wolfpack collapsed from one of the intriguing upper-middle conference programs to a team fighting to stay away from the cellar.

The Wolfpack does have wins over some prominent ACC programs, like Virginia and a surprisingly capable Wake Forest team, but the losses to teams like Pitt and Duke showed just how far behind NC State is compared to some of the higher-level competition. Just how far has this skid sunk the Wolfpack?

ACC Power Rankings

The Contenders

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) and head coach Brent Key celebrate after a touchdown against the Syracuse Orange in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0 ACC)
Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC)
Louisville (6-1, 3-1 ACC)
Miami (6-1, 2-1 ACC)
Pitt (6-2, 4-1 ACC)

Georgia Tech, now ranked No. 8 in the country, continues to be the class of the ACC. Of course, as NC State's defense continues to suffer injury after injury, the Yellow Jackets come to Raleigh Saturday. While Miami might have the best chances to make the College Football Playoff as an at-large team, all five of these programs are in the mix to win the ACC.

Pitt, which most recently dominated NC State, is the only unranked member of the group, but could be the most disruptive. The Panthers will face both Georgia Tech and Miami in the final two weeks of the season.

Oct 11, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert reacts during the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Impressive Middle

6. Duke (4-3, 3-1 ACC)
7. Wake Forest (5-2, 2-2 ACC)
8. SMU (5-3, 3-1 ACC)

Jake Dickert's work at Wake Forest might be the biggest surprise in the conference. The Demon Deacons picked up their fifth win of the season with a walk-off field goal against SMU last week. It was the first regular season ACC loss for the Mustangs since joining the conference last season.

Duke continues to ride the highs and lows of the Darian Mensah experience and has proven itself to be the best team in the Triangle.

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Unimpressive Middle

9. Virginia Tech (3-5, 2-2 ACC)
10. California (5-3, 2-2 ACC)
11. Clemson (3-4, 2-3 ACC)
12. NC State (4-4, 1-3 ACC)

Virginia Tech, which fired its head coach about a month ago, has wins over both Cal and NC State. The Wolfpack finds itself struggling to win games in the conference, something that didn't look to be a problem after the win over Wake Forest and the competitive loss to Duke.

However, things changed in a hurry for Dave Doeren's team. Injuries piled up and the offense began to sputter behind sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. The final four games are loaded with challenges, including two ranked matchups against Georgia Tech and Miami.

Doeren promised to fight the rest of the way and the team's goal is still to go undefeated in the final four games. The head coach shut down any discussion of a potential exit after the season, stating his focus is on this season and any conversations about that can wait.

Oct 11, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien yells to an official during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Cellar

13. Stanford (3-5, 2-3 ACC)
14. Syracuse (3-5, 1-4 ACC)
15. FSU (3-4, 0-4 ACC)
16. North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 ACC)
17. Boston College (1-7, 0-5 ACC)

Sorry, Florida State fans. The win over Alabama feels like a different season at this point, as the Seminoles have lost four in a row in the ACC and nine in a row dating back to last season's 1-7 conference campaign. Mike Norvell and Co. still have a chance to get to a bowl game, but they'll have to win against Doeren and the Wolfpack in Raleigh a week before the Thanksgiving holiday on a short week.

Stanford overachieved through the first eight games. The Cardinal have at least been competitive against some of the other bottom-dwelling competition. Fortunately for NC State, they'll face two of these teams in the last two weeks of the season, with the FSU game and the North Carolina game both on the schedule.

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