ACC Football Power Rankings Week Eight: How Far Did The Hokies Fall?
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Seven weeks are in the books for the 2025 college football season.
The ACC has been scattered with upsets this year and this week followed suit. Miami, Georgia Tech and Virginia remain in the AP Top 25 poll. It appears a three-team race for the ACC title, but several dark-horse teams have emerged that are poised to contend. 10 teams have at least four wins on the season. As the picture begins to get clearer, here's how all 17 teams compare to each other entering week eight.
Miami holds the top spot within the ACC coming off its bye. Their last game versus Florida State was their first one-score game since Notre Dame in Week 1. They led confidently through three quarters, however, and managed to hold off Tommy Castellanos and Co. in the fourth. The Hurricanes came out on top when it mattered most, led by Carson Beck's four-touchdown day. The talk of the town for Miami wasn't Beck, however, but its speedy playmaker, Malachi Toney. A two-touchdown performance from him was the cherry on top of this elite receiving corps. They jumped back up to second on the AP Top 25 poll and remain one of the best programs in the country.
OUR. STATE. pic.twitter.com/CccUOEXZAJ
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) October 5, 2025
Haynes King continues to quietly produce for Georgia Tech. His style isn’t flashy — he hasn’t reached 1,000 passing yards yet and has just four passing touchdowns — but his consistency stands out. King’s mobility adds a steady dimension to the offense, even if he’s not an elite runner in the mold of Lamar Jackson. What he does do is keep drives alive, picking up tough yards and finishing possessions efficiently in the red zone. The Yellow Jackets’ ground game remains among the best in the country, and after another strong week, they’ve climbed to No. 12 in the AP poll with Brent Key’s group firmly in ACC contention.
If Chandler Morris stays healthy, this team could fight their way into the ACC Championship. They climbed to 19 in the AP poll and are beginning to generate some playoff hype. Now, there are a couple of titans standing in their way. The loss against NC State is tarnishing their record a bit, but fortunately for them, it wasn't an in-conference matchup. They pull through matchups when the time calls for it and have a really fair schedule ahead of them. Having five wins coming out of the rough stretch of their schedule skyrocketed their odds of making it to the ACC Championship. Now, coming off their bye, they look poised to make that run a reality.
After an up-and-down first three weeks, the Blue Devils are on a roll. Their three-game win streak has solidified their ceiling. Mensah has 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions through six games. His threat as a playmaker has opened up opportunities in the run game. Tailback Nate Sheppard is averaging eight yards per carry on the year. Anderson Castle and Jaquez Moore have served as great counterparts in the backfield. The defense remains their biggest weakness, especially in larger matchups. They'll be tested against the Yellow Jackets, but thanks to their bye, they've had an extra week to prepare.
Another one of the many teams on bye this week, the Cardinals are looking to bounce back from their first loss against Virginia.
Miller Moss was relentless through the air, thanks to a monster performance from Chris Bell. He had 170 of Moss's 329 yards. The downside to that was that no one else stepped up when the team needed a surge. Isaac Brown was suppressed on the ground and Louisville didn't establish the run as much as they have in the past. Hindsight is 20/20, and the Cardinals fought hard in a matchup that was no easy task. Taking Virginia to overtime proved how legit they are as a threat in the ACC, but Louisville has to close out stronger.
The Mustangs have positioned themselves right back into the hunt for the ACC title. Their two losses against out-of-conference opponents significantly weakened their outlook. Kevin Jennings, however, still looks poised to compete. They were expected to steamroll Stanford and did just that. Someone who may begin seeing more usage is Chris Johnson Jr. He flashed rare speed on his breakaway 87-yard score. He's gotten just 28 touches out of the backfield this year, but has maximized his opportunities. T.J. Harden is still the lead back in this offense, but Johnson's speed warrants more of a look.
87 YARDS TO THE HOUSE!
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 11, 2025
Nobody's catching Chris Johnson Jr. 💨
📺 @TheCW_Sports x @SMUFB pic.twitter.com/u7U8HMRYh2
The Panthers rose up big this week with their upset victory against the Seminoles. Signal-caller Mason Heintschel wasn't perfect, but he tallied another 300-yard day through the air and produced 64 yards on the ground, as well. He wasn't perfect, turning the ball over twice, but he was unfazed and unshaken. And Desmond Reid was welcomed with open arms this week. After seeing very inconsistent work all year, Reid dominated against Florida State. He exited with 200 total yards and two touchdowns.
The Mike Norvell story this season has been a rollercoaster. Florida State opens with a huge Week 1 win over Alabama, jumps back into the AP poll, and looks poised to build on its 2024 momentum. Fast forward to Week 8, and the Seminoles sit at 3-3. Is Norvell on the hot seat? It’s unclear — but with James Franklin’s firing in the headlines, the coaching landscape is unpredictable. Tommy Castellanos impressed through the air, and the ground game held up well, yet Desmond Reid exposed defensive weaknesses. In the end, Florida State lost control of the game themselves, a recurring theme under Norvell: glimpses of promise overshadowed by missed opportunities in big moments.
This wasn’t a game the Wolfpack were expected to win, but their lack of competitiveness was still striking. Notre Dame looked every bit like a team coming off a championship run, and they delivered on that expectation. Hollywood Smothers was missing, leaving the front seven to dominate the trenches. C.J. Bailey tried to carry the offense himself, a role he’s shown flashes of excelling in all season. Against the Fighting Irish, though, he couldn’t find his rhythm. Three interceptions quickly put the game out of reach. With a motivated Panthers squad waiting after the bye, the Wolfpack will need to reset and focus.
KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA IS A PLAYMAKER #GoIrish☘️ | @AsaViliamu pic.twitter.com/uQDh3tdVCJ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 11, 2025
Wake Forest is evidently outperforming expectations, and Demond Claiborne is must-watch football. But it's hard to say this team would compete against those that are above. They couldn't pull through against NC State and Georgia Tech and could've easily lost to the Hokies, had Virginia Tech managed the ball better. They ran through a winless Oregon State squad this week and have a serious test against SMU. With the Mustangs gaining traction at the right time, the Demon Deacons will likely find themselves in another tight contest. They still need to prove they can come out on top against greater opponents. If they can't pull through against SMU, however, they'll likely stay in this range of the rankings.
The same sentiment stands for the Golden Bears. It's impressive that they sit at 4-2, but they have had a weaker schedule than most teams in the ACC. Duke was by far their toughest opponent and the Golden Bears fell heavily against a more experienced team. There's still plenty of development ahead for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. His true freshman campaign has had some great highs and significant lows. This week was one of those lows. His three interceptions threw away any momentum the Golden Bears could generate. Matched up against a quarterback with the talent of Darian Mensah brought the challenge of countering his play. Kendrick Raphael tried his best to salvage the offense with a two-touchdown performance, but the task proved too tough for Cal's young quarterback.
The Tigers have found themselves out of the spotlight since falling to 1-3. Since then, they've fought their way back to a .500 record. Cade Klubnik led the Tigers to a dominant blowout victory against the ACC's weakest team, Boston College. Brian Wesco and Antonio Williams had strong days and their run game totalled four touchdowns. Even defensive tackle Peter Woods got into the endzone. The Tigers have a gaunlet of ACC prowess in front of them. SMU, Duke, Florida State, and Louisville remain their last inter-conference opponents. They will certainly be tested over the next month.
#Clemson DT Peter Woods had a hat-trick today:
— Andy (@AndyyNFL) October 12, 2025
- 1 Touchdown
- 1 Sack
- 1 TFL
My DT1 in the 2026 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/v85AD4t5zq
The Orange were just starting to hit their stride offensively, and losing Steve Angeli has exposed just how vital he was to the team’s rhythm. Without him, it feels like Syracuse has to rethink how this offense operates. Typically, teams lean on the run game when their quarterback is out, but Yasin Wells has only thrived in favorable game scripts and hasn’t shown the ability to ignite the offense. Rickie Collins offers dual-threat potential, but his inconsistency explains why he wasn’t the starter. The team’s ceiling is clearly lower without Angeli under center.
Virginia Tech’s optimism has officially run out. A chance to reach .500 slipped away, with a narrow miss against Wake Forest and a blowout at Georgia Tech. The loss wasn’t shocking, but it stings nonetheless. This marked their first road defeat to the Yellow Jackets since 2019. Georgia Tech has improved markedly and made the Hokies pay, particularly on the ground, exposing persistent issues. Kyron Drones struggled with turnovers once more, and the offense as a whole continues to look disoriented.
There's plenty of talent to buy into with both units. Just two weeks ago, Terion Stewart had what seemed like his breakout. Now, he's dealt with some injuries this year, so caution could be a reason why they have yet to commit to him as a workhorse. Even then, Marcellous Hawkins has shown flashes and continues to vary game to game with usage. Seven games in, and the same problems exist. Plenty of headlines surround this team's future. Sadly, it seems like they'll continue to shadow over the work the 2025 Hokies are putting in to try and salvage what they have left of the season.
Chapel Bill hasn't been a pretty experience so far. He wasn't left behind with too much to work with, and that will be preached for the remainder of the year. The quarterback situation continues to plague this offense. They have receiving talent that was recruited with high value. The Max Johnson experience in 2025 just doesn't have much of a ceiling. It's only a matter of time before Bill Belichick pivots to someone else. There has to be an attempt from somebody in that QB to get something going. Gio Lopez didn't do much after the first drive against TCU. How high this team goes is reliant on how much production they can get from their field general. Based on what has been showcased, they'd be lucky to win more than two games the rest of the season. Facing Cal off a bye could spell out an upset. They open as 10.5-point underdogs. Crazier things have happened this season, but the Tar Heels have to be flawless to take down the Golden Bears on Friday night.
Stanford is one of the programs soon to be in the coaching carousel that people aren't talking about. They have produced some superstar-level talent in past years, but have been on a rough start to their tenure in the ACC. SMU won with heavy confidence. Ben Gulbranson has looked better throughout the season from a yardage standpoint. He doesn't have the upside to carry this offense in negative game scripts. The Cardinal just doesn't have the roster to compete and won't for a while. Andrew Luck has plenty of work left to do. It'll be interesting to see just how attractive a program this will be for their next head coach.
Boston College continues to hit rock bottom. They haven't had the easiest schedule, but compared to how this team played last year, it's a night-and-day difference. They've been at the bottom of the rankings for the last few weeks. After UConn, they have one of the hardest schedules in the ACC. If they don't get a victory against the Huskies, they may not have another chance for the rest of the year.
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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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