How Far NC State Dropped in This Week’s ACC Power Rankings
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RALEIGH — Instead of heading into a game against Campbell with a 4-1 record flying high, NC State gave away a critical game to Virginia Tech, falling 23-21 Saturday night in the friendly confines of Carter-Finley Stadium.
The loss ended an emotional weekend for the Wolfpack and helped clarify the ceiling and floor of Dave Doeren's 13th NC State team. Across the ACC, the tiers that complete the conference hierarchy seemed to even out officially, with some teams finding their identities after huge wins.
Where did NC State end up in the power rankings for the conference after five weeks of the 2025 season?
The Power Rankings
17. Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC)
The Golden Eagles began ACC play with a loss to Stanford, a team many picked to finish last in the conference. They followed that up with a loss to Cal, with the California schools completing a sweep over Bill O'Brien's squad.
16. Stanford (2-3, 1-1 ACC)
Stanford has proven it can win at home in 2025, escaping in tight battles against Boston College and now a lowly San Jose State team. The Cardinals are clearly a rebuilding program, but have the ability to win ugly games with a solid rushing attack if head coach Frank Reich can get it going early in the games. Still, the ceiling for this team is very low.
15. North Carolina (2-2, 0-0 ACC)
There's a common denominator between the three teams at the bottom of these rankings: Can you figure it out? Belichick and company had a bye week following their loss to UCF, a bottom-feeder in the Big 12. Questions surrounding the play of quarterback Gio Lopez remain and the Tar Heels could very easily be looking at a change at that position moving forward if the issues persist. Belichick will have his first ACC test against a downtrodden Clemson team in Week 6.
14. Wake Forest (2-2, 0-2 ACC)
The Demon Deacons fell just short in maybe their best chance to shock the world with a win over No. 17 Georgia Tech in Winston-Salem, losing by a point. Head coach Jake Dickert has Wake Forest more competitive than many anticipated, but the lack of depth and inability to win games in the conference so far sinks this program to the bottom of the rankings.
13. Virginia Tech (2-3, 1-0 ACC)
Virginia Tech walked into Carter-Finley Stadium and physically imposed its will on the Wolfpack in Saturday's win. Quarterback Kyron Drones made the plays he needed to and threw a pair of touchdowns to help the Hokies escape with a win for interim head coach Philip Montgomery. Given the roster uncertainty moving forward, it's hard to see a massive turnaround for Virginia Tech the rest of the season, but the win certainly proved the team could be closer to the form it showed in the first half of the South Carolina game than the form from the Old Dominion disaster.
12. NC State (3-2, 1-2 ACC)
What a difference two weeks can make. In the last power rankings, NC State climbed to No. 6 in the ACC after a 3-0 start and a road win over Wake Forest. A difficult loss against Duke in Durham was filled with issues, but it wasn't time to ring the alarm bells on bowl eligibility with winnable games against Virginia Tech, Campbell and North Carolina still on the schedule. Well, Doeren and his team couldn't beat the Hokies at home, creating uneasiness around the fan base about the veteran's ability after over a decade in charge. It doesn't help that NC State still has to face Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State.
11. Clemson (1-3, 0-2 ACC)
The Tigers' tumble from atop the ACC throne has been shocking. However, this is still a roster loaded with talent and it's hard to see Dabo Swinney not turning things around at least a little bit before the end of the ACC season. A road matchup in Chapel Hill could offer the Tigers and Swinney a much-needed opportunity for a win.
10. Syracuse (3-2, 1-1 ACC)
The Orange looked like one of the best surprises in the ACC after a half against Clemson, but losing quarterback Steve Angeli was a brutal development for Fran Brown's team. Duke came into Central New York and throttled Syracuse in Week 5 and now the Orange have to travel across the country to face SMU.
9. Southern Methodist (2-2, 0-0 ACC)
The Mustangs stayed home with a bye week and have yet to play an ACC game in 2025. The two losses came against quality Big 12 opponents in Baylor and TCU and both were relatively close games, meaning SMU can hang with high-level opponents. Still, questions remain about how the Mustangs will handle a more difficult ACC travel schedule compared to their incredible run in 2024.
8. Pittsburgh (2-2, 0-1 ACC)
The Panthers lost a tight one to Louisville, squandering a fourth-quarter lead. Two straight losses have created some doubts as to whether Pitt can compete with the top half of the ACC, but strong quarterback play from Eli Holstein should keep this team in the fight moving forward. The Panthers will have a chance to bounce back with a home game against Boston College.
7. California (4-1, 1-0 ACC)
After a terrible performance against San Diego State, the Golden Bears bounced back and opened ACC play with a win. True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele continues to be one of the best youngsters in the nation, leading Cal back to steal a win across the country in Boston. The Golden Bears will have a prove-it game against the team above them in the rankings next week.
6. Duke (3-2, 2-0 ACC)
The Blue Devils are starting to look like the team many anticipated they would be coming into the 2025 season. Back-to-back wins to start ACC play have Duke flying high ahead of a potentially important standings matchup against Cal, as both programs have fairly similar schedules moving forward.
5. Louisville (4-0, 1-0 ACC)
The Cardinals escaped Pittsburgh with a win after completing a massive comeback from down 17-0 in the first quarter of the game. Louisville passed its first test, barely, but quarterback Miller Moss seems to be gaining confidence as a passer as the season moves along. Up next for Louisville? The ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
4. Florida State (3-1, 0-1 ACC)
The Seminoles fell in overtime to Virginia in one of the best games of the weekend. While the Cavaliers exposed some issues for Florida State, the game was more indicative of Virginia's rise than Florida State's fall. A massive test awaits Mike Norvell and the Seminoles next week, as they'll face the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes.
3. Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC)
The Cavaliers are the surprise of the ACC. Wily veteran quarterback Chandler Morris helped lead Virginia to a signature win at home over a top-10 Florida State squad on Friday night. However, Virginia will now enter unfamiliar territory, playing with a target on its back for the first time in the Tony Elliott era. How will the Cavaliers respond in a matchup against Louisville?
2. Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 ACC)
The Yellow Jackets escaped Winston-Salem with a narrow victory, helped slightly by some questionable officiating. Now, Georgia Tech gets a much-needed bye after playing for five straight weeks. Haynes King and Co. have a relatively friendly schedule the rest of the way, but they will have two road tests against Duke and yes, NC State, before the bitter rivalry matchup against Georgia.
1. Miami (4-0, 0-0 ACC)
The Hurricanes are not the best team in the ACC; they are one of the best teams in the nation. They dropped a spot in the AP poll to No. 3 after spending Week 5 on a bye. Now, a major road test against Florida State awaits them.
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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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