Where NC State Ranks in the ACC During Its Bye Week
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RALEIGH — After NC State's loss to now No. 13 Notre Dame, the Wolfpack enters an open date or bye week in hopes of recovering from some of the injuries that have derailed the middle part of the season.
Most of the Wolfpack's ACC competition has played six or seven games by this point and the contenders have separated themselves from the pretenders in the conference power structure.
NC State's three losses in four games slid the Wolfpack down the rankings, but just how far did Dave Doeren's team fall?
ACC Power Rankings
17. North Carolina (2-3, 0-1 ACC)
The Tar Heels very easily could've lost by more to Clemson in their last appearance and a media firestorm during the bye week made things even uglier in Chapel Hill. Not only is North Carolina the worst team in the ACC, but it might also be one of the worst FBS programs in the country under head coach Bill Belichick.
16. Boston College (1-5, 0-4 ACC)
The Eagles look like a victim of too much talent exiting in one offseason. The defensive stalwarts lost by head coach Bill O'Brien to the next level hurt the unit enormously and the offense has been a massive disappointment. Even so, the Eagles were competitive in two of their three ACC losses, but face a tough schedule the rest of the way.
15. Stanford (2-4, 1-2 ACC)
The three teams at the bottom of the conference are about as bad as it gets, but Stanford has something the other two programs don't: a conference win. Yes, the Cardinal beat Boston College and distanced themselves from the true bottom, but things are a long way from being turned around in Palo Alto.
14. Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-2 ACC)
While the Hokies got a nice win over NC State in Raleigh, it still looks like a lost season in Blacksburg. Interim head coach Philip Montgomery has done a nice job keeping things stable, but the program needs to look forward rather than worry about being competitive in 2025.
13. Syracuse (3-3, 1-2 ACC)
Losing starting quarterback Steve Angeli hurt the Orange in a big way, but Fran Brown will make sure the team fights the rest of the way. There should be room for a couple more wins against UNC and Boston College, but bowl eligibility might be out of reach.
12. Wake Forest (3-2, 1-2 ACC)
First-year head coach Jake Dickert and the Demon Deacons might be the biggest surprise in the ACC. After back-to-back losses to NC State and Georgia Tech, Wake Forest bounced back with a pair of wins and could push for six wins on the season with some luck.
11. NC State (4-3, 1-2 ACC)
A loss to a ranked Notre Dame team doesn't do much for an already struggling Wolfpack team reputationally. Doeren and his staff are dealing with a number of key injuries on the defensive side of the ball, so the open date came at a critical time. The remainder of the schedule remains difficult, although one game that looked like a surefire loss might be trending toward a massive win.
10. Florida State (3-3, 0-3 ACC)
Here's your potential win for the Wolfpack. The Seminoles are reeling, having lost three games in a row. The upset loss at Virginia seems to have put the defense in a bit of a tailspin after physically dominating Alabama in the season opener. Mike Norvell and the Seminoles are set to play the Wolfpack in another Friday night bout in Raleigh on Nov. 21.
9. Clemson (3-3, 2-2 ACC)
Games against UNC and Boston College help any competent program look improved and the Tigers proved that over the last two weeks. With his team regaining some confidence, head coach Dabo Swinney will try to take down SMU like the Tigers did in last season's conference championship game.
8. California (4-2, 1-1 ACC)
With only one loss in conference play, all hope isn't lost for a plucky Golden Bears squad. Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele made some serious mistakes against Duke in Cal's last appearance. Still, a home game against a reeling North Carolina squad should allow the young signal caller to bounce back.
7. SMU (4-2, 2-0 ACC)
Rhett Lashlee has turned things around in Dallas and the Mustangs look poised for another push to the ACC title game with some luck. They'll need to survive at least one of the Clemson and Miami games to have a shot at returning to the postseason.
6. Pitt (4-2, 2-1 ACC)
Having problems closing games? Swap your experienced quarterback out for a true freshman and the young man will throw for over 600 yards in his first two games combined. The Panthers, now led by quarterback Mason Heintschel, went to Tallahassee and upset Florida State. It will be a difficult matchup for the Wolfpack next week.
5. Louisville (4-1, 1-1 ACC)
The Cardinals have a massive opportunity to prove they belong near the top of these rankings this week, as No. 2 Miami comes to town for a Friday night tilt. The close loss to Virginia was disappointing for this group, but it could completely erase that with a win over one of the nation's best teams.
4. Duke (4-2, 3-0 ACC)
The Blue Devils have been a different team since the end of the first quarter against NC State. Three straight ACC wins have Duke riding high before a matchup with No. 12 Georgia Tech. The winner of that game will have a major advantage at the end of the season when it comes to a potential ACC championship berth.
3. Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0 ACC)
The Yellow Jackets continue their workmanlike march through ACC play. Brent Key's squad just finds ways to win games. Georgia Tech, now ranked No. 12, will need to be on its A-game against a massively improved Duke squad.
2. Virginia (5-1, 3-0 ACC)
If not for Wolfpack linebacker Cian Slone's heroics in the end zone, Virginia would be undefeated with a win over a ranked Florida State team. The Cavaliers are one of the best stories in the ACC, as coach Tony Elliott's blueprint finally came together in the first six weeks of the 2025 season.
1. Miami (5-0, 1-0 ACC)
The Hurricanes have already passed every major test, with wins over Notre Dame, Florida and Florida State in the bag. The rest of the schedule is relatively light for Miami, but the team will have to be sharp as every opponent will be looking for its signature win against the Canes.
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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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