Week two ACC power rankings: Virginia stays steady amid significant changes

Now that every team has played a game, the early standings are clear

Aug 29, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) runs with the ball during the second quarter of the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Atkins-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Every ACC team has now played at least one game, and the early standings have fallen into place. The race to Charlotte is a marathon — but some teams are already falling behind while others are in pole position. Here are the ACC power rankings ahead of week two action.

17: Stanford (Prev. 16)

The Cardinal did face title contender Miami, which should give them some grace, but they were blown out by any and all definitions. 

16: Boston College (Prev. 17)

Little was expected of this Eagles team entering 2026. They did put up a decent fight against Cincinnati, which could inspire some hope, but Boston College remains a below average football team.

15: Clemson (Prev. 8)

Is this a dramatic drop? Yes — but early in the season, there should be some drastic changes. The Tigers looked completely helpless in a 51-10 loss at No. 11 LSU. Meanwhile, Louisville nearly stole a win against a different top-10 team from the SEC. Clemson has to earn its way back into the ACC’s middle tier.

14: Florida State (Prev. 15)

The Seminoles had a tough task taking on SMU. They made some plays, but ultimately, their offense sputtered out time and time again in crucial situations. Florida State has to find some consistency, and avoid long stretches of suboptimal play.

13: California (Prev. 7)

The Golden Bears looked beyond mediocre defensively against UCLA. To make matters worse, star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele tossed a pair of interceptions. Cal should climb back up the rankings soon, but it looked unprepared to start the season.

12: Georgia Tech (Prev. 5)

Continuing a trend of promising ACC teams starting slowly, Georgia Tech lost at home to an average Colorado team. 

11: NC State (Prev. 12)

The Wolfpack had a week off, and other ACC teams fared just as poorly as NC State did in its opener — if not worse.

10: North Carolina (Prev. 13)

The Tar Heels also had a week off. Their impressive upset win against TCU is vastly superior to what other conference foes put on film to start the year.

9: Syracuse (Prev. 14)

The Orange began their season by beating New Hampshire 66-3. Demolishing a subpar FCS team means nothing, but Syracuse performed as expected. That’s more than some other teams can say.

8: Wake Forest (Prev. 11)

The Demon Deacons beat Akron 38-16 — it was surprising to see them allow 16 points to a middling Zips team. Wake Forest also let its starting quarterback attempt 32 passes in a game it was favored to win by several touchdowns. 

7: Virginia Tech (Prev. 10)

The Hokies crushed a team they were favored to beat by over 50 points. This says nothing about how good they actually are. Virginia Tech did the best job of any ACC team facing a cupcake, though. 

6: Duke (Prev. 9)

The Blue Devils faced an FBS team, Tulane. Duke’s defense looked incredible although the offense struggled to get going. The Blue Devils might slide down the rankings once other ACC teams face better competition or rebound from tough losses.

5: Pitt (Prev. 4)

Quarterback Mason Heintschel looked like one of the best passers in the country, if not the very best. He too faces questions about the level of competition, though. Pitt beat Miami (OH) and barely broke a sweat. The Panthers should be higher on this list but the four teams ahead of them all faced superior competition.

4: SMU (Prev. 3)

The Mustangs coughed up four turnovers. That usually coincides with a lousy performance. However, SMU pulled out a win after a strange delay in Tallahassee, Fla., squeezing past Florida State. There are some problems, but the Mustangs displayed serious grit.

3: Louisville (Prev. 6)

Usually, an ugly win is always better than a pretty loss — but early in the season, there should be some exceptions. The Cardinals were one possession away from defeating the No. 9 team in the country. New quarterback Lincoln Kienholz looked incredible. This will be a very good football team.

2: Virginia

No game, no change — next game is Friday against Norfolk State.

1: Miami

The Hurricanes performed exactly as expected. They destroyed Stanford. Both quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney looked like Heisman Trophy contenders. Miami was and remains the team to beat in the ACC.