ACC Football Power Rankings Week 13: Will the ACC Get a College Football Playoff Bid?
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Somehow, the college football season is 13 weeks in. The landscape of the FBS has shifted on a tectonic level every week. The ACC has embodied that chaos in the second half of the year, with a new top dog emerging every week. None of them has lived up to expectations consistently enough to crown a clear title contender.
The same five teams appeared on the previous College Football Playoff rankings. The mixture of dominant victories and underwhelming performances has clouded the picture of who the committee will lean towards in their upcoming rankings. The AP Top 25 poll suggests Miami could be in favor, listing them at 14th. Georgia Tech and Virginia don't sit far behind them, but Pittsburgh and SMU remain in the hunt with just one ACC loss.
The path to the ACC Championship is tighter than ever. With little room for error, here's where the 17 teams sit before an integral week 13.
UVA takes the top spot this week, despite what the polls may say. They shut down one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and held control of the game for all four quarters. Chandler Morris didn't have the cleanest game, but he lit up the stat sheet. His return from injury limited the designed runs. The pass game returned to form with a thunderous performance from Trell Harris. The Cavaliers lead receiver broke out for a career-high 161 yards and a score. Virginia dominated the trenches on both ends of he field. J'Mari Taylor had his fourth multi-touchdown outing of the season, with 133-yards on the ground accompanying it. Duke couldn't keep up with the Hoos pressure, notching zero sacks to Virginia's four. This was the first game Virginia has won with confidence since September. With the Commonwealth Clash looming, the Cavaliers have to finish the year with confidence heading into the ACC Championship.
Georgia Tech may have the best record in the ACC, but last week was the most embarrassing victory possible. The Yellow Jackets would be at the top of the rankings if they played any other team. The last time Boston College put up more than 30 points was against Michigan State in week two. The Eagles have been at the bottom of the ACC in every metric. Georgia Tech has been towards the top. They were heavily favored in this matchup and tried their hardest to lose this matchup. Based on their record and what they've done, they can't fall too far. This win showcased how weak their defense can be, which is something that may come back to bite them in the postseason if they make it.
Miami has returned to form after two self-inflicted losses. Carson Beck looked like his early-season self by stretching the field securely. He threw for 291-yards and three touchdowns in what was his best game in over a month. They were matched up against a weak defense and he took care of business. Miami's defense was the story of the game, however. Suppressing an offense like NC State's is no easy task. The only reason they've won games is because of the performances CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smothers have had. Miami took advantge of Smothers's absence and forced NC State to be one-sided. They generated as much pressure, but were still very active in the backfield. This looked more like the Hurricanes that took down Notre Dame to start the season. If they continue to look like this, they should return to the playoff picture.
Saying this game didn't matter was not the best look for head coach Pat Narduzzi. In the landscape of the ACC, however, he wasn't wrong. The Fighting Irish rolled through the Panthers in their own territory. It's not all doom and gloom, though. Mason Heintschel had a rude awakening against one of the FBS's best. He finished with a QBR of 8.7 before exiting after the game was out of reach. Desmond Reid looked good through the air, but he, alongside the rest of the backfield, couldn't gain momentum. Jeremiyah Love was his usual electric self, while former Cavalier Malachi Fields had his best game of the year with 99 yards and two touchdowns. It's a loss the Panthers will have to take on the chin, as their next game against Georgia Tech will be the deciding factor on their ACC title hopes.
The Mustangs have climbed this high before and proceeded to fall thereafter. They've had an extra week of prep for Louisville. They have the unfortunate task of facing a frustrated Jeff Brohm in what's sure to be an offensive shootout. If the Mustangs trot out like they did against Boston College, however, they should leave the game on top. Kevin Jennings kept rolling against Boston College after they took down Miami. He remains amongst the Power Four's best passers, at 2,810 yards. He's now had two straight games throwing over 300 yards. SMU's offense remains one of the best in the ACC, but its trend of turnovers must become irrelevant if the Mustangs wish to make a last-minute push for the postseason.
Wake Forest has had a shockingly productive year and carried that trend in their game versus the Tar Heels. Demond Claiborne remains one of the most consistent backs in the conference. He began to cool off during ACC play, partially due to injury. He remains 200 yards away from a second-straight 1,000-yard season. His next matchup against Delaware is certainly favorable for that achievement. Carlos Hernandez was a standout as well, having easily his best outing of the year. 40% of his yardage for the year came from this past week, with 100 yards and a touchdown. The glaring mark of the Demon Deacons' year is their ACC record. All three of their losses came from interconference foes, but that doesn't excuse the overachievement they've had in 2025.
Since losing Isaac Brown, the Cardinals haven't been the same. They've still had production from Keyjuan Brown. The big games are where their lead-back shone the most. While toth of the Browns were great when deployed together, Isaac is a more proven weapon than Keyjuan. The reliance on Miller Moss hasn't gone the Cardinals' way. He's had two passing touchdowns to three interceptions over the last four games. Moss was averaging 268 yards through his first six games. In the last four bout, he's averaged 185. The production offensively was good, but the situational performance was poor for both offense and defense. It was yet another close game, and the Cardinals couldn't make the plays they needed. Another week of that wouldn't spell out a recipe for success, especially against a hungry SMU team.
The Golden Bears had the pleasure of riding back to California to sit on an upset victory against Louisville. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele looked exceptional. His connection to Jacob De Jesus has been strong all year and proved to be the winning factor against the Cardinals. JKS kept the ball clean and stretched the field better than he has all season. He might not have shown quite the dual-threat ability he's capable of, but the true freshman got the job done every time he was called upon. After losing Fernando Mendoza to Indiana, the Golden Bears might have something special in their young Hawaiian star. Their next matchup against Stanford should spell out another productive day from him if they properly ride this momentum.
In the blink of an eye, the Tigers have made it out of ACC limbo. They're not coming anywhere near the title game, but they could end with a strong performance transitioning into bowl season. They're one win away from clinching eligibility. Klubnik didn't have a striking game, but Clemson's came up with the plays when they were needed. Adam Randal had an efficient 100-yard day with two touchdowns. The Tigers' defense had an almost identical day to Louisville's. The most important factor remained the plays being made when it counted. The ESPN Matchup Predictor has the Tigers at a 98.9% chance of beating Furman. Expectations don't fare well for the 2025 Tigers, but another outing like last week's and they should be on their way to a salvaged season.
It seems like when NC State isn't red hot on offense, they gain no momentum at all. This game looked similar to their blowout loss against Notre Dame. CJ Bailey was suppressed all around. His 13.6 QBR was his lowest graded game of his career. It was his first game with a QBR under 30 and his lowest since his 31.6-rated game against Northern Illinois last season. The lack of movement carried over to the run game. Jayden Scott led the pack with 14 yards on the ground. The last time the lead rusher for NC State was that low was the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl, where Jordan Houston finished with the same number. This was a statistical all-time low for NC State. A bounce back against a fair-weather Seminoles squad.
Darian Mensah hasn't had a November to remember. When the Blue Devils took down Clemson in a high-scoring affair, Duke was set up for a postseason push. While the offense has been proficient, Duke's defense has been a liability from time to time. Manny Diaz has been reliant on Mensah's production. Cooper Barkate has been an impeccable find in the transfer portal. His transition from Harvard to Durham has been one of the best storylines in the ACC. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that when both Mensah and Barkate aren't firing on all cylinders, the Blue Devils don't look the same. The stats are still great for the entire season, but the Tulane transfer hasn't been the transcendent talent he's become accustomed to as of late. He had his worst-rated game of the season against Virginia. It was no easy task going against the top team in the conference, but the Blue Devils could've kept this one close.
The Seminoles handled business against the Hokies. They were projected to take the game over and did just that. Virginia Tech showed its capability to stay in games during the first half, but Mike Norvell never took his foot off the gas. Tommy Castellanos had an efficient day on the air and ground. He finished with three touchdowns and 234 total yards. Duce Robinson was the name that the Hokies needed to have circled, and he proved it. He had his third-straight 100-yard performance, marking a total of five on the year. He now leads the ACC in receiving, ranks second among Power Four wideouts, and fifth overall in the FBS. As long as the Seminoles keep thriving through their star receiver, their bowl season push should be successful.
Chapel Bill still has a shot at a bowl game, but the path isn't easy. Their QB1, Gio Lopez, hasn't eclipsed 1,500 passing yards. Their run game just reached the 1,000-yard mark, but they average 3.7 yards per game. The offense hasn't been what's won them games. The Tar Heels have been improving on defense as they've gained more experience under Belichick. They let up the most points since the beginning of October against an offense that has one of the best running backs in the conference. Wake Forest controlled the pace from beginning to end. If North Carolina wants to go bowling, they'll have to step play on both sides of the ball.
It was a slow burn for the Hokies that couldn't generate any momentum through the air. Marcellous Hawkins and Kyron Drones had a great game on the ground, but they couldn't push the ball fast enough to keep up with Duce Robinson and the Seminoles' offense. They needed to key in on containing him downfield. Every time he touched the ball, it was a big play. Flashes from Jeffrey Overton and Ayden Greene were the only positives from the passing game. The story of the week isn't the Florida State game, though. James Franklin is the heir apparent in Blacksburg. Keep an eye out for the recruits and potential transfers once Penn State's temporary portal window opens apon the hiring of their new head coach.
Stanford had a week off to travel back home and prep for an interstate battle against Cal. Elijah Brown had a long day. He was pressure constantly from strat to finish. The fact that the Cardinal kept it within one score in the final score is shocking considering the nine sacks they gave up. Cole Tabb has been a great back for them since stepping into a lead role. Micah Ford came back from injury and made Tabb an afterthought. However, Ford wasn't impressive for the Tar Heels against UNC. Tabb still found the endzone with limited touches and should get more usage going into their game against Cal. They need every bit of juice they can on offense, especially with their quarterback being pressured at the rate he was.
Syracuse had little to no chance to compete in this game. Fran Brown has tried to get the most out of Rickie Collins. With 10 interceptions to six touchdowns, that potential may not have much else to go. The unfortunate thing is that there's nowhere else the Orange can look. Joseph Filardi checked in and got his first touchdown, but the upside is unknown for him. The defense hasn't held its own all year, and Brown has established a system that is reliant on their passing game. No matter who they put in at quarterback, the outlook won't change.
Boston College had a chance to pull off the impossible. Few one-win teams like the Eagles functioned like they did on Saturday, especially against one of the best offenses in the country. They exposed the Yellow Jackets' defense just in time for the postseason. Dylan Lonergan started hot as a passer, but was ice cold after their third loss. This was his best game in months. Reed Harris and Lewis Bond were cutting up the Yellow Jackets' secondary. If they came out of this game with their first win since week one, the ACC landscape would've been altered completely. With play like this, the Eagles could be favorable against Syracuse.
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Brett Holmes has been covering the Hokies as a Sports Media & Analytics student at the school for the past two years. Alongside writing, he works behind the scenes as a production assistant for Virginia Tech's athletic production organization Hokie Vision. In his free time, he produces his own podcast, Holmes Field Advantage, on his YouTube. You can find him on X @_BrettHolmes
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