NC State Shakes Up ACC Power Rankings With Statement Win
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RALEIGH — After being irrelevant in the conference through most of the last six weeks, NC State emerged as the ACC's biggest disruptor at a rather inopportune time for commissioner Jim Phillips.
The Wolfpack's win over undefeated Georgia Tech likely killed the ACC's hopes of being a two-bid league in the upcoming College Football Playoff. While NC State has long been out of the hunt for an ACC title, head coach Dave Doeren kept his program hungry by firing his team up for the opportunity to play spoiler over the last four weeks of the season.
The Top 2️⃣5️⃣ heading into Week 11‼️🏈#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/johA238T6d
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 5, 2025
After a few weeks without significant turmoil, NC State's win and a few other upsets blew the ACC standings up. Now, the power structure of the conference is murkier than ever, with several teams now in play for the ACC Championship and the lone Playoff berth. Where does NC State land on the latest power rankings?
ACC Power Rankings
17. Boston College (1-8, 0-5 ACC)
Bill O'Brien's second year at the helm has been a disaster. The Eagles hung in there with Notre Dame last week, but the promise of the 2024 season is way in the rearview. Now, the head coach is calling out members of the media as he searches for his first ACC win.
16. Syracuse (3-6, 1-5 ACC)
Syracuse started a lacrosse player at quarterback in last week's home loss to North Carolina. That should tell you everything you need to know about Fran Brown's program since losing Steve Angeli to a season-ending injury.
15. North Carolina (3-5, 1-3 ACC)
Belichick finally quieted the storm around his program and won his first ACC game. It did come against Syracuse's lacrosse experiment on a Friday night, but the Tar Heels looked improved, particularly defensively, over the last three games. With a forgiving schedule the rest of the way, a win streak could send Belichick bowling in his first season.
14. Stanford (3-6, 2-4 ACC)
Stanford has been more competitive than many would've expected and has two wins in conference play. What the Cardinal lacks is steady quarterback play, but with Andrew Luck in the general manager position, the program has a person who knows what kind of signal caller needed to take the next step in the coming years.
13. Cal (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
The state of Virginia has taken its toll on Justin Wilcox's Golden Bears. Virginia Tech and UVA both took down Cal in back-to-back weeks. Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele continues to impress, but keeping him might prove difficult.
12. Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3 ACC)
While still a long way from where they want to be as a program, the Hokies looked like a renewed team after Philip Montgomery took over several weeks ago. The interim coach led the Hokies to a pair of conference wins.
11. Wake Forest (5-3, 2-3 ACC)
A blowout loss at Florida State cooled the Jake Dickert hype train a little bit, but the Demon Deacons remain the biggest surprise in the conference. Wake Forest is just one win away from bowl eligibility in Dickert's first season at the helm and has winnable games still on the schedule.
10. Clemson (3-5, 2-4 ACC)
The turnaround never came for the Tigers and the program stooped to a new low in Saturday's Duke loss. The defense, which entered the season touted as one of the best in the nation, allowed 46 points to Duke. Three wins for a bowl game might be hard to come by looking at the rest of the schedule.
9. Florida State (4-4, 1-4 ACC)
A blowout win over Wake Forest won't repair the trauma felt by Seminole fans after 10 straight ACC losses spanning over two seasons, including one to a lowly Stanford team. Florida State looked more like it did early in the year when it took down Alabama, but Mike Norvell's team remains far from the top of the conference with a 1-4 record in ACC play.
8. Miami (6-2, 2-2 ACC)
Here they are again in November. After looking like one of the nation's most complete teams through the first two months of the season, Miami has plummeted over the last three games. The loss to SMU cost the Hurricanes a chance at the ACC title and will likely keep them out of the College Football Playoff once again.
7. NC State (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
When Dave Doeren needed his offense the most, it showed up and dominated. Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey lived up to the potential many felt he had throughout the season, throwing for over 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Even without two key players in Hollywood Smothers and Justin Joly, the offense scored 48 points on Georgia Tech.
Bowl eligibility looked like a difficult task after the Pitt loss, but the win over the Yellow Jackets has the Pack back in the mix to play in December. Bailey will get an opportunity to shine in a homecoming game against Miami, as he hails from South Florida.
6. SMU (6-3, 4-1 ACC)
SMU appears to be here to stay, as head coach Rhett Lashlee signed a contract extension and beat Miami on the same weekend. While the Mustangs finally lost an ACC game, they remain in the mix to return to the conference title.
5. Duke (5-3, 4-1 ACC)
The Blue Devils went to Death Valley and got a massive victory over the Tigers. Other than a potential win-and-in game against Virginia for an ACC Championship berth, the Blue Devils have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way. Can Manny Diaz, Darian Mensah and Co. capitalize and finish with one of the most successful seasons in program history?
4. Pitt (7-2, 5-1 ACC)
Picking between Duke and Pitt was difficult, but the Panthers look reborn since handing the reins over to freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Pitt went out west and picked up another win over Stanford. Pat Narduzzi has his team firmly in the playoff conversation if he can get a few more wins down the stretch.
3. Louisville (7-1, 4-1 ACC)
The Cardinals deserved to be second on the list, but the loss of running back Isaac Brown for an extended period of time throws a wrench into the playoff hopes in Louisville. Still, Jeff Brohm's team looks like one of the best in the conference and holds a win over Miami.
2. Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC)
Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, Haynes King can't play on both sides of the ball. The quarterback threw for over 400 yards and ran for another 100, but the Georgia Tech defense completely collapsed against CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack. A path still exists for Brent Key and his team, but now a win over Georgia looks even more important.
1. Virginia (8-1, 5-0 ACC)
This Virginia team should be called the 'Cardiac Cavaliers,' as every game induces some form of heart palpitation. Tony Elliott's squad has been a revelation and was chosen by the CFP Committee as the most likely representative from the ACC in the first bracket reveal. Virginia will have to pass more tests, including one against Pitt, in the last four weeks.
The Cavaliers and Georgia Tech have combined for two losses. Who beat them? Dave Doeren and the NC State Wolfpack.
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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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