Week Three ACC Football Power Rankings : How Far Did the Hokies Fall?

Week two of the 2025 college football season was full of surprises.

Who could've guessed Wake Forest would have a better record than Virginia Tech, Clemson, SMU, and North Carolina? Some big movers within the ACC have turned heads, and not for all the right reasons. Three teams remain in the AP Top 25 poll, with four more earning votes.

Here's how the hierarchy of power fares in the ACC heading into week three.

The Hurricanes should remain at this spot comfortably. However, their next opponent is poised to be the team to watch in the Group of Five. Miami pummeled Bethune-Cookman 45-3. Carson Beck continues to look like an early Heisman candidate. This passing attack is no joke and could take the crown for the best in the country if they continue on this pace. Their next bout against #18 South Florida has trap game written all over it. They went from a fun team to watch to a star-studded team that could go supernova if they pull off the impossible against the Hurricanes. They've knocked off two ranked teams to start the season and are drenched with poise. All of a sudden, this interstate showdown is must-watch television for the week three slate.

🎯🔥

📺: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/zjEm5DV1mC
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 6, 2025

The Seminoles keep rolling. Last year couldn't be further behind Florida State as they've jumped to second in these power rankings and 10th in the country. The Mike Norvell revenge tour finished its second show with a 77-3 beatdown on East Texas A&M. They're doing what good teams do: compete no matter who they face. They play with an energy matched by few. Some call it inspiration. Others call it rage. No matter what it is, it's got the Seminoles poised for a 2023-esque campaign.

If you know a Clemson fan, check on them. Yes, this is still a good team. They're ranked 12th in the nation and are a strong program that can compete with the best of the best. Keeping it close against teams like Troy, however, is worrisome. That's not to get down on Troy, but the Tigers should've walked out of this game with confidence. Letting up more passing yards than thrown is not the way to do so. Adam Randall remains the lead back and looks able to handle the role. Questions on Gideon Davidson's usage remain, with the true freshman remaining far behind Randall in terms of usage. The offensive talent is still elite. They need a breakout against Georgia Tech to hold their spot in the rankings with confidence.

Speaking of the Yellow Jackets, they've jumped up into the top five in the rankings and are on the cusp of a spot in the AP poll. The duo of Haynes King and Jamal Haynes gives Georgia Tech a scary run attack. The status of King against Clemson is questionable due to a lower-body injury that held him out against Gardner-Webb. However, it's safe to assume that was more precautionary than anything. The Yellow Jackets need to fire on all cylinders against Clemson. A win against the Tigers would knock Clemson down significantly and make it an instant contender for the ACC title.

Some may want the Mustangs to fall farther. The Kevin Jennings factor shouldn't be overlooked. This was a shootout from start to finish and is one SMU has to take on the chin. There's a lot to love about their offense, but the defense needs to find consistency. They've fallen out of the top 25 and have a layup in Missouri State waiting to be lobbed up to them. If they want to make their way up these rankings, they need to heat up when conference play kicks off. Jennings still has the potential to carry this team on his back. That pressure, however, needs to be handled with better protection of the football.

The Cardinals have a relatively easy start to the season. With Bowling Green upcoming, they should start undefeated heading into ACC play. Anything can happen, though. Miller Moss has had his moments so far, but the heartbeat of this team is Isaac Brown. The ACC is stacked with talented running backs, and Brown might be the best of the bunch. He's a walking highlight when he's given the ball. He has 230 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 carries. Keep in mind, Brown is still a sophomore. He's natural at this game and is only going to improve as the season settles in. There are going to be games he takes over single-handedly. That factor keeps the Cardinals among the best in their conference.

The Panthers have been an offensive brigade to start the season. When you face Central Michigan and Duquesne, that's expected. They're doing what good teams are expected to do: beat bad teams. It sounds easier said than done, and history shows that. Pittsburgh is getting settled in comfortably and could be a sneaky threat in the conference. Eli Holstein has been a gunslinger to start his second year, sitting at the top of the ACC with eight passing touchdowns. The competition could inflate these numbers, but they also inflate his confidence. That is a crucial factor for a quarterback's success. The team's confidence in him and Holstein's confidence in himself are the backbone of this offense. If morale continues to ride high against West Virginia, the Panthers should see continued success.

NC State likes keeping games closer than they need to be, don't they? Week two was the opposite of their opening matchup against East Carolina. They led early against the Pirates and almost let them take a home win from them. They were on the other end of the spectrum this time. However, the Wolfpack got the job done. C.J. Bailey and Hollywood Smothers put the team on their back in a 35-31 comeback victory. This was a game the offense needed to step up, and they did. Bailey played exceptionally down the stretch, finishing with 200 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and a QBR of 90. Smothers did just that to the Cavaliers' front seven with a strong 140-yard, two-touchdown outing. Their 2-0 start has them tied for the biggest risers on these rankings.

Hollywood Smothers is the first NC State player with 130+ rushing yards & two rushing touchdowns in a game since Reggie Gallaspy in 2018!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/wbK17Ivp3t
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 6, 2025

Boston College comes in as the other biggest riser in the ACC. The Eagles' offense has been shockingly good through the air, a 180 compared to last year's squad. They are all in on Dylan Lonergan, and he's throwing with poise. Michigan State was a tough matchup, and they almost stole a win. This was not an air raid that was expected to have much flair. Lonergan is on a mission to show Alabama what they're missing. He's made the most of his opportunities and is elevating this team in a manner

Mensah-mania was halted against #11 Illinois. Duke was poised for an upset and was expected to make this game close on the back of their Tulane transfer QB Darian Mensah. He still had a good showing, throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns. The Blue Devils' defense just couldn't keep up. If Duke were to come out of this on top, it'd have to be off the heels of a shootout. The run game couldn't get going and didn't look like it had much confidence from this staff to start. The Fighting Illini were ranked for a reason. Though it was still disappointing that Duke couldn't stay competitive in this matchup. Mensah will return to his first home for week three as the Blue Devils look to make a statement against Tulane.

The Cavaliers look way better than expected at this stage of the season. Chandler Morris is a good fit for this offense and makes Virginia's offense legit. He has big play ability with his arm and legs. The ground, however, was all J'mari Taylor's. He had a massive day out of the backfield, logging 150 yards and three scores on just 17 touches. If the Cavaliers had snuck out of Raleigh with a win, who knows how much hype would be behind the team. The Wolfpack spoiled that and torched Virginia's defense to complete the comeback at home. This was still a good showing for the Cavaliers. Their win projection and EPI have climbed up the ACC ranks. If they can finish stronger down the stretch, this is a team that could play spoiler in some top interconference matchups.

True freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has the Golden Bears on a hot start. He showed out against Oregon State in week one, throwing three touchdowns in their 34-15 victory. Cal ran over Texas Southern, but Sagapolutele had a quieter night. He got into he endzone on the ground, but was held out through the air. His first interception proved to us one thing: he looks like a true freshman. He's already showing his upside and looks like the future of Cal football. In the modern era of college football, however, no one knows how long that'll last. As long as he's there, though, they'll prioritize his development. The Golden Bears have full confidence in their young gunslinger. After all, the last left-handed quarterback from Ewa Beach turned out pretty good.

Fran Brown lost a lot this offseason. Last year, the Orange had one of the best offenses in Division I. Not only have they slowed down significantly post-Kyle McCord, but they have also lost a lot of their flair. Syracuse was a team you could never count out in 2024. Now, you can't count other teams out against them. UConn almost inched away with an upset. The entire program is still behind Brown and the vision he has for the team. The Orange have to find their footing soon, or else they'll be worrying about salvaging the season sooner rather than later. A matchup against Colgate should help the Orange get its swagger back. The road ahead of that is full of tough matchups. Syracuse's resilience will surely be tested down the stretch.

Bill Belichick is in the win column in Chapel Hill. Sure, fans would've liked to have seen more efficiency on offense. There are still questions about the ceiling of this team. The pass game was expected to be the strength of the team with the talent they have. There are doubts about how far Gio Lopez can truly take this offense. After the disaster that was week one, however, you take what you can get. North Carolina's defense looked much better this week and held the 49ers out of the endzone. Their schedule isn't as tough as that of other teams in the ACC. If they handle business before the start of conference play, Belichick and company can get things rolling in the right direction.

Congratulations Virginia Tech, you're this week's biggest loser!

What hasn't been said about the Hokies coming out of week two? Things are at an all-time low in Blacksburg. This was the first home opener dropped during Brent Pry's tenure and the first for Virginia Tech since 2015. That was against the best team in the nation. This was against an underdog. Diego Pavia simply owns the Hokies. He's been an underdog twice and looked unfazed in both matchups. What hurts the most is that the Hokies led at halftime by two scores. Allowing 34 unanswered points is unacceptable. This team went from a sleeper to arguably the worst in he conference. The talent on the roster holds this team up, but its leaders let them down. Pry is on the hot seat, and fans are calling for his tenure to be over, no matter how the season ends. The confidence behind Drones as the starter has never been lower. This team can only do so much on defense with the talent they lost this offseason.

Against Power 4 competition, Brent Pry is about to be 10-20 during his 3+ seasons at Virginia Tech.

That can never be accepted in Blacksburg #Hokies
— Tim Thomas (@TimThomasTLP) September 7, 2025

The Monarchs aren't a layup. Even though their All-American linebacker, Jason Henderson, hung up his cleats this past weekend, no one is counting them out. Pry repeatedly said this team was the closest to his vision. What that vision is could be anybody's guess. Either way, it's dark times in Blacksburg. A loss against Old Dominion could be Pry's final game. The fact that there's a countdown for a potential change at head coach is a sign of the times for the season. But hey, rock bottom only means it goes up from here, right?

It's the Demond Claiborne show for the Demon Deacons. It was known he was the lone star on this Wake Forest team that still projects to be one of the worst in the ACC, despite their 2-0 start. He had nothing but big plays, with 193 yards on just 10 carries. His three scores put a ribbon on a career day for the high-octane back. Robby Ashford continues to show value as a runner. We'll see how his arm fares against tougher competition. They open as seven-point underdogs against NC State. If they find a way to take that game, these rankings could be turned on their head. That is a big ask, though. This team will only go as far as Claiborne can take them. Week three will show just how good he is.

At least the Hokies aren't Stanford. The Cardinal joins Virginia Tech as the only winless teams in the ACC. Based on the lack of offensive firepower, they take the spot for the worst team in the ACC. The numbers across the board are ugly. They've averaged 2.9 yards per carry through two games. Ben Gulbranson has completed only 51.6% of his passes. The Frank Reich era, if that is even a thing, is not off to a hot start. This was never going to be a competitive team. It's a rebuild year, and Andrew Luck knows it. Where this program goes beyond 2025 could see Stanford return to form. It's not happening anytime soon, though.

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