ACC Football Power Rankings Week Six: Massive Upsets Shake Up the ACC

If last week was chaotic, this week was pandemonium.

Sep 27, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Marcellous Hawkins (27) makes a touchdown and celebrates during the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

This power ranking thing is hard, you know.

Just when the landscape of the ACC was thought to have shaken up enough, the state of Virginia showed up to prove that wrong. The conference gained more representation in the AP Top 25 poll. Outside of the top dogs down in Coral Gables, the ACC is more open than ever. With that said, here's how all 17 teams rank among each other entering week six.

Thank you Miami for making this job a lot easier. The Hurricanes were on bye this week coming off their dominant victory against the Gators.

Carson Beck is making a strong case for the best quarterback among teams in the top 25. Against polled teams, he's posted a passer rating of 174.6 with 545 passing yards and five touchdowns. Mark Fletcher Jr. has blossomed into their lead back. The junior hasn't been held under 60 yards through four weeks, rushing for 388 yards and five touchdowns on the year. The Hurricanes' defense has been reminiscent of the early 2000s. Their latest matchup against the Gators saw them suffocate D.J. Lagway and company to just 141 total yards. Miami continues to look as advertised, and they have an extra week to rest and prepare for the next best team in the ACC and the state of Florida.

Carson Beck is a great QB, actually. pic.twitter.com/e5xpgz0e8I

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 17, 2025

That was a close one.

The Yellow Jackets almost added themselves to a strong list of upsets within the ACC. Haynes King is still a baller. The calcium within this man's bones could be at superhuman levels. For a quarterback to continuously grind out yards, take hits, and still be able to drop back with ease is beyond comprehension. Georgia Tech has given King the keys to the castle, and he's proving them right. Their run defense fell apart this weekend, but they faced one of the best running backs in the conference. They fought back from a major deficit and remain in the AP poll. A win is a win!

The Cavaliers took what could be the game of the year at home. This exact scenario is something the Seminoles have gone through before. Virginia established themselves as a legitimate threat, yet they almost let this one slip. Chandler Morris nearly gave this game away. He had an outstanding day with five touchdowns, but he also turned the ball over three times. Competitive environments bring chaos, so it's not a detriment to his rest-of-season outlook. They got lucky on what should've been the game-extending touchdown on a dropped dime from Tommy Castellanos. This one can't be taken away from Virginia, though. Throw the attendance number to the side; they had one of the greatest field rushes known to man. This is a fun, dangerous team that, come December, should make for an electric Commonwealth Cup.

VIRGINIA BEATS FLORIDA STATE AND STORMS THE FIELD IN RECORD TIME

THIS IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

pic.twitter.com/xU1CIsY5Fz

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 27, 2025

All the talk is about the Virginia game, but Louisville had a big inter-conference matchup this week, too. They continue to prove me right as competitors within the ACC, handling a Pitt team that's no easy win. The Panthers executed the perfect game plan by shutting down Isaac Brown. Duke Watson actually led this backfield for the first time in forever. Miller Moss proves his fit in this offense by stepping up and showing out, however. He had his best outing of the year and will have to continue that trend against a red-hot Cavaliers team. Next week should be a fun one between two top-five teams in the ACC.

This was a heartbreaker for Florida State in every way. The good thing about this upset, however, is that they looked good enough to still be competitive. They remain 18th on the AP poll. They remain a powerful foe within the ACC landscape despite being in the losing column for the first time. Tommy Castellanos almost had this game for the Seminoles. This was a dog fight on both sides. Both quarterbacks turned the ball over multiple times, yet made plays with both their arms and legs. Castellanos led the ground game with Gavin Sawchuk not far behind. One drop let this game slip away in overtime, but they shouldn't let it collapse what was a fantastic start. They're still a top-tier team; however, that tier may be more crowded than initially intended.

I may be overrating the Blue Devils a tad, but it's hard not to love what Darian Mensah is putting on paper. This is still a dangerous team despite what their record would lead you to believe. Mensah missed on just six passes. Nate Sheppard had a monstrous 168-yard, two-touchdown outing. The Orange were without their starting quarterback, but a Fran Brown led team held to just three points is still a massive win. Having a tough schedule to start the year, the Blue Devils have adjusted well in the last two weeks and are 2-0 in ACC play. They still have some challenging opponents remaining, but expect them to be itching for a spot in the ACC Championship game.

I can't make up my mind on the Golden Bears. One week, they look like an underdog to compete; others, they look like they're barely holding on. The most impressive stat in football is wins, and Cal has four of them. They have more wins than anyone would've expected at this stage with a true freshman quarterback. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele looked better, but still has plenty of learning to do. The trust this team has in him to make plays, however, is inspiring. Kendrick Raphael had a big game after being silenced for the last couple of weeks. This is a hard-nosed group that could have one of the best win totals in the conference, given their schedule.

Let’s run it back ⏪#SmartAndTough #GoBears pic.twitter.com/3DIQSNX9UW

— Cal Football (@CalFootball) September 28, 2025

This one is head-scratching. Despite the loss to Duke, NC State looked like a serious contender within the conference. They might still be capable of some big wins, but this one hurts. Just two weeks ago, the Hokies were at rock bottom. The Wolfpack looked like they underestimated the talent of Virginia Tech. They got out-coached by an interim head coach. Matchups like these against an ACC opponent catch up to you. This was a game that Hollywood Smothers and C.J. Bailey needed to step up, and they didn't. This isn't a season-ender, but it made the next couple of months look a lot more grim.

Only the Hokies could be the biggest riser and faller within the same month. Nobody expected this one to be in Virginia Tech's favor. They didn't just take this win away from NC State; they controlled the pace from start to finish. Fans almost had to pinch themselves because they achieved the impossible: the Hokies won a one-score game. It's been nearly four years since their last one-score victory, and it couldn't have come at a better time. This fault was one of Brent Pry's biggest, and it took Philip Montgomery one try to right that wrong. Kyron Drones has played with increased poise, and Terion Stewart had the breakout everyone knew he was capable of.

The defense has the most interesting storyline of the week. Names leaving through the portal, some not named on the roster, yet this group looks as unified as ever. These past two weeks have shown who really wants to be in Blacksburg. Adversity is an understatement when looking at what these players have gone through in just a few weeks. The landscape was flipped on its head for Virginia Tech, and they've responded in the best possible way.

Terion appreciation post 🫶

SWIPE ➡️#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/ZhBhSwTSwL

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 29, 2025

The Demon Deacons let another close game slip, but the fact that they've competed with who they have is a statement. Demond Claiborne nearly put this team on his back. They were on call away from one of the biggest upsets of the year. Robby Ashford uncorked a deep ball under the assumption that the referees saw the offside Yellow Jacket. The missed call forced the Demon Deacons to give the ball back, and the rest was history. The loss hurts, but this was a moral victory. If they can go into Lane Stadium and beat the Hokies, they may be climbing even higher.

The Mustangs look like a shell of their 2024 selves. After going undefeated in regular-season ACC play, they have lost both of their matchup against Power Four programs. Kevin Jennings has not protected the ball well. He's committed to being a gunslinger. That play style is a double-edged sword, however. Always swinging for home runs means you're going to strike out more. Without the talent of Brashard Smith from last season to fall back on, Jennings is expected to take control of the game. Combine the lack of that with a weak defense, and the Mustangs look like a middle-of-the-pack ACC competitor.

Back-to-back losses have many questioning the ceiling of the Panthers. They fought against one of the ACC's best. They were without their dynamic backfield threat, Desmond Reid. They needed someone to step up at running back, and it didn't happen. Eli Holstein was called upon to lead this team to victory. He's no stranger to airing it out, but the turnovers got the best of him. The harsh truth with the Panthers is they have on of the hardest schdules in the conference. It'd be easy to say getting Reid back would solve problems, but their inneptitude to use him correctly remains a flaw. This team is no where near the bottom of the barrell, but the upside just isn't there right now.

Time and time again this season, signal-caller Cade Klubik has folded under pressure. He's been given multiple chances to take games over or at least get Clemson back into games. Their defense could be better, but with the amount of talent Clemson possesses on offense, there comes a point where someone has to step up. So far, no one has done so.

They're in a very odd place. They've committed to Klubnik being the guy and don't really have the confidence to go any other direction. Their quarterback situation reads like Georgia's from last year, but the Tigers don't have the defense that the Bulldogs did. They'll likely finish much better than some are projecting, but Clemson is now in a fight for bowl eligibility.

This one hurts. The Orange is a fun squad. Fran Brown is easy to root for. They brought down the Tigers and had hopes skyrocketing. Then, there was the news of Steve Angeli's season-ending torn Achilles tendon. He was leading this pass attack outstandingly. Rickie Collins is a suitable backup, but he didn't look nearly as comfortable as Syracuse needed him to be. Angeli had more value to this offense than initially expected, and he was already viewed highly. SMU will be a true test if this team can succeed without him, but it doesn't look great after failing to see the endzone against Duke.

The Tar Heels turned the clock back to week one against UCF. The Knights steamrolled Bill Belichick's unit. The storyline of this team is not the present, but its future. Belichick hasn't even gotten a full recruiting season under his belt. Sure, this team 's early identity isn't enticing. Six Super Bowl rings are, however. The Tar Heels have the time to try things out and develop the guys they have. Unfortunately, there's not much being shown by their offense. The lack of a passing game continues to stall drives and leaves their defense looking exhausted by the end of the first half. While the talent definitely isn't high enough to fully blame the offense, it's obvious that's their major deficiency heading into week five.

The Cardinal keeps bouncing between this range and will likely continue to do so. They've looked good against lesser opponents. This one was an absolute shootout. If anyone stayed up for this late kickoff, credit to you. Stanford finished the rally with seconds left on the clock in a game that totalled over 1,000 yards. Ben Gulbranson was aggressive from start to finish. Credit to Stanford for not wavering despite not having the level of talent expected to compete with offensive numbers like San Jose State's. It wasn't the prettiest game, but Stanford made the plays when they needed to. More showings like this, and they can move away from this bottom tier.

The Eagles have to show us something. Their offense looks inept to compete against teams they should be neck and neck with. Turbo Richards had the breakout he needed, with 171 yards on the ground, accompanied by two scores. Dylan Lonergan couldn't get much of anything going through the air, though. It's not like the Golden Bears were in the backfield constantly. They only tallied one sack. Lonergan was just off. After weeks of ineffectiveness in the run game, the one week the Eagles get the ground game rolling, they can't accompany it with a passing attack. Pitt looks like a heavy favorite for next week, and Bill O'Brien is on a seat of molten lava.