Week three ACC power rankings: Where do the Cavaliers rank?

Another week of ACC football has come and gone, and now, week three has arrived. The quarter point of the regular season is quickly approaching — and the ACC hierarchy continues to develop.

Although there was only one in-conference game this week, some teams looked strong while others dropped duds. Here are the week three ACC power rankings.

17: Stanford

No game, no change — next game is Saturday at Duke.

16: Boston College

The Eagles rebounded by defeating Rutgers, a Big Ten team. However, this remains an underwhelming football team that has much to prove. Maybe Boston College steals an upset or two — but it will most likely struggle to stay competitive against superior competition.

15: Florida State

No game, no change — next game is Saturday at No. 12 Alabama.

14: Clemson

The Tigers picked up a win, but it took awhile for them to get going at home against Georgia Southern. Coach Dabo Swinney turned to freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds, who showed some flashes, but remains an unproven commodity. Clemson is in an extremely perilous purgatory.

13: Georgia Tech (Prev. 12)

Hosting No. 18 Tennessee is a tall task. The Yellow Jacket offense performed well, but their defense allowed a whopping 45 points. Georgia Tech is off to a concerning 0-2 start, but perhaps it can pick up some wins when it starts to play some easier opponents.

12: Syracuse (Prev. 9)

The Orange took a step back this week. Syracuse’s potent offense was held to just 18 points, consistently stalling out in crucial situations. There are some questions about both the ceiling and floor of this Orange team.

11: California (Prev. 13)

Cal rebounded in a big way this week — executing a complete 180 defensively and earning an ever-important ACC road win. The Golden Bears still have some work to do if they are to ascend the conference rankings, but they are on the right track.

10: NC State (Prev. 12)

The Wolfpack destroyed Richmond 73-0 — providing the perfect response after being blasted by Virginia last time out. NC State looked like one of the best teams in the country Saturday. The question is not about the Wolfpack’s ceiling or floor, but instead where the median lies. That will be a fascinating development to follow.

9: North Carolina (Prev. 13)

Elite defense was never in question. North Carolina has a formidable defensive front. The offense, however, was suspect entering the season. The Tar Heels still have improvement (they failed to cover the spread) but they look leagues better than their awful 2025 campaign.

8: Wake Forest

A near opposite — Wake Forest’s defense has been highly questionable to start the season. The Demon Deacons allowed 16 to Akron and 36 to Purdue, but they won both games. The latter win was a road victory over a Big Ten team. Wake Forest has some flaws, but is firmly in the ACC’s middle tier.

7: Virginia Tech

The Hokies obliterated another vastly inferior team, but there were a few bizarre mistakes made in the process. It is far too early to analyze Virginia Tech, as it has yet to face a Power Four opponent. There may not be a team in the conference with more of an unknown aura than the Hokies.

6: Pitt (Prev. 5)

On a rainy day in Pittsburgh, the Panthers managed to score just one touchdown. With star quarterback Mason Heintschel hampered by the weather, Pitt struggled to play big boy football and win in the trenches. That could be a problem moving forward.

5: Duke (Prev. 6)

The Blue Devils were a huge winner on the national landscape. Duke won 31-27 on the road at Illinois — with running back Nate Sheppard dominating and quarterback Walker Eget operating the offense with great fluency. The Blue Devils might have a higher ceiling than some expect.

4: SMU

Yet another ACC-over-FCS blowout occurred Saturday. It is too difficult to analyze a team based on a game it is favored in by more than five touchdowns.

3: Louisville

Hosting FCS Villanova, the Cardinals somehow allowed 13 points. Luckily for Louisville, it scored a grand total of 59 points and had firm control of the scoreboard for most of the game. The Cardinals continue to own a tantalizing ceiling.

2: Virginia

For the second game in a row, the Cavaliers ran their guests out of Scott Stadium. Virginia has only allowed 11 points (two scores) in two games this year. The Cavaliers are one of the most complete teams in the Power Four.

1: Miami

The Hurricanes beat the living daylights out of Florida A&M. There is not a whole lot to say about this game. Miami has several of the nation’s top players at its disposal.

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