ACC Football Power Rankings: Week 6
1. Clemson Tigers (5-0)
Last Week: 1
The 5th-ranked Tigers maintained their home win streak to 37 games in their 10-point win over 10th-ranked NC State. Clemson put their much improved offense on display once again, scoring 30 points against a strong Wolfpack defense. The Tigers have won back games against elite ACC teams. I’d argue that they deserve to be ranked higher than No. 5.
2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-1)
Last Week: 3
Wake Forest and their dangerous offense rolled against FSU in their 31-21 win on Saturday. The team has endless weapons with A.T. Perry, Donavon Greene, Jahmal Banks and Ke’Shawn Williams. Aside from Ohio State, they truly may have the best receiving core in all of college football. Quarterback Sam Hartman played another fantastic game, and is slowly creeping into the Heisman discussion. The Deacons are in the soft part of their schedule; the next three weeks feature a matchup with an Army, a bye, and then a date with Boston College.
3. NC State Wolfpack (4-1)
Last Week: 2
The Wolfpack hung around in the first half in Death Valley, but were outlasted by Clemson 30-20. It would’ve been quite the upset if they could've pulled it off, the Tigers haven’t lost at home since 2016. The Wolfpack put up a respectable fight, but they only mustered 42 rush yards against a Clemson defense without Bryan Bresee, which is concerning. It’ll be interesting to see them play Syracuse and Wake in the coming weeks. The Wolfpack fell four spots to No. 14 in the rankings and will host Florida State next week.
4. Syracuse Orange (5-0)
Last Week: 6
After a 59-0 victory over Wagner, the undefeated Orange have played their way onto the national radar, earning a No. 22 rank in this week’s AP Poll. This the first time they have been ranked since 2019. After a bye, they have a great chance to prove their legitimacy with a home matchup against NC State. The Wolfpack are laboring after their toughest loss of the year, which could be the perfect recipe for a Syracuse victory
5. Florida State Seminoles (4-1)
Last Week: 5
The ‘Noles fell to Wake Forest 31-21 at home on Saturday, but there are some positives to take from the loss. With the run game struggling at times, Jordan Travis was able to put drives together through the air, mainly targeting his 6’7” wide receiver Johnny Wilson. After trailing 28-7, Florida State had a valiant comeback and scared some Demon Deacon fans. Coming up, the Seminoles enter the gauntlet; NC State and Clemson are their next two opponents
6. UNC Tar Heels (4-1)
Last Week: 7
The Tar Heels blew out Virginia Tech 41-10 at home on Saturday, putting one of the best offenses in the ACC on display once again. The defense finally showed some life; we’ll see if this is actual improvement next week with an upcoming test at Miami. The winner of this game will likely become the frontrunner to win the Coastal
READ: Game Summary: Wake Forest Defeats Florida State 31-21
7. Duke Blue Devils (4-1)
Last Week: 9
I think it’s time to officially proclaim the Blue Devils as legit. They had a strong 38-17 win against UVA on Saturday, dominating the Cavaliers in almost every facet of the game. A road trip to Georgia Tech is up next, and the Blue Devils would be fools to overlook them after what just happened to Pitt...
8. Pitt Panthers (3-2)
Last Week: 4
They lost to Georgia Tech…at HOME. It’s probably one of the worst losses in program history. Georgia Tech has been abysmal, and they just fired their head coach Geoff Collins last weekend. This loss They have a chance to bounce back next week against Virginia Tech.
9. Miami Hurricanes (2-2)
Last Week: 8
The Canes were off this week, giving them some time to recover after that brutal 45-31 loss to Middle Tennessee. The Hurricanes are lucky to be playing in the Coastal division - and they The Hurricanes can prove they are worthy contenders with a win at home against UNC on Saturday.
10. Virginia Cavaliers (2-3)
Last Week: 11
The Cavs were dominated by Duke on Saturday 38-17 and fell below .500. The offense struggled again; QB Brennan Armstrong was 19-37 in Saturday's contest. The Cavs are now 0-3 on the road this year and haven’t won a matchup in ACC play. They have a great chance to get their first ACC win with a home matchup against Louisville, who likely won’t have star QB Malik Cunningham.
11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-3)
Last Week: 14
Players always seem to step up and play incredibly hard right after their coach gets fired. The Yellow Jackets earned their first ranked win since 2016 against Pitt with a 26-21 win Saturday. Hassan Hall turned in a strong effort, rushing for 165 yards on 20 carries. Georgia Tech will look to build off of this surprising momentum when they host a strong 4-1 Duke team next weekend.
READ: Five Key Stats From Wake Forest's Win Over Florida State
12. Boston College Eagles (2-3)
Last Week: 13
The Eagles secured their second ACC victory this weekend with a 34-33 home win against Louisville. Eagles wide receiver Zay Flowers put on another clinic, going for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Phil Jurkovec finally played the great game we were waiting for, completing 18 of 21 passes for 304 and 3 TD’s. The Eagles have their toughest challenge of the season on Saturday when Clemson comes to town.
13. Louisville Cardinals (2-3)
Last Week: 10
The Cardinals lost quarterback Malik Cunningham in their 33-31 defeat against Boston College. The redshirt senior exited with an undisclosed injury and missed the final three drives of the game. Backup Brock Domann came in and did absolutely nothing - he completed 1 of 8 passes for 19 yards with an interception. With Cunningham's status in question next weekend against UVA, the Cardinals are in a real tough spot.
14. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-3)
Last Week: 12
The Hokies put up 10 points against a UNC defense that gave up 24 points to Florida A&M at the beginning of the season. That doesn’t mean we should shower the Heels’ defense with praise; those 10 points had far more to do with a lackluster Virginia Tech offense. QB Grant Wells has been rough this season. It was more of the same Saturday when he threw for 139 yards and a pick. The Hokies have to figure something out offensively if they want any chance against an angry Pitt team next weekend.
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