Deacs Make Massive Jump in This Week’s ACC Power Rankings
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Whoa! Don't look now, but the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-1, 1-1 ACC) jumped six spots in this week's ACC Football Power Rankings. This puts the Deacs as the second-ranked team among the league's 17 teams.
This is what happens when a team gets a critical road win against a ranked team, a feat Jake Dickert has now done for the second time in his two years in Winston-Salem. The first one came last year when Wake beat Virginia in Charlottesville.
In addition to Wake's big move, Virginia Tech dropped four spots. The Hurricanes were once again unanimously ranked No. 1. In fact, the gap between Miami and No. 2 Wake is huge; the Deacs' average rank was 4.2, but that was enough to give them the second spot. That's because of a five-team bottleneck, with average rankings ranging from 4.2 to 5.1.
For the first time this season, Stanford is no longer the last team in the rankings. In fact, the Cardinal moved up to No. 14. This week's bottom dweller is Syracuse, though Boston College and Georgia Tech are just slightly ahead.
Wake Forest has started the season at 3-1, with a decisive win over Akron in Week One, a double-OT thriller on the road against Purdue in Week Two, a loss to then-No. 5 Miami in Week Three, and then the win over Louisville last week.
How Power Rankings Are Determined
Each week, our editorial staff of ten writers individually ranks the 17 teams in the ACC. We tabulate all the votes and determine the weekly power rankings.
Here's where our staff ranked the teams this week:
2026 ACC Power Rankings – Week 5
Miami is the top team by a long shot. This week, the next tier is the five teams ranked No. 2-No. 6 - Wake Forest, SMU, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Duke. Then there's another large group in the middle of the pack, followed by the four teams mentioned above that make up the bottom tier.
Week 5 Power Rankings Highlights
- Miami remains in the top spot. No other team received a first-place vote.
- Syracuse is now No. 17.
- Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Stanford also received last-place votes.
- Wake Forest had the largest jump, moving up six spots.
- Virginia Tech fell the furthest, moving down four spots.
- Five teams had six or more spots between their highest and lowest rankings; Florida State had the most, with an 11-point spread.
- Other teams with at least six spots between the highest and lowest rankings are Duke (7), Pittsburgh (6), Stanford (6), and Virginia Tech (6).
17. Syracuse (1-2, 0-2)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 16
Highest Ranking: #13
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: at UConn
16. Boston College (2-2, 0-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 15
Highest Ranking: #12
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Lost to Virginia Tech14-21
This Week: at SMU
15. Georgia Tech (1-3, 0-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 13
Highest Ranking: #13
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Lost at Stanford 27-34
This Week: Bye Week
14. Stanford (2-2, 1-2)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 17
Highest Ranking: #11
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Beat Georgia Tech 34-27
This Week: at Wake Forest
13. NC State (2-2, 0-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 14
Highest Ranking: #12
Lowest Ranking: #15
Last Week: Beat App State 41-31
This Week: vs. Louisville
12. California (2-2, 1-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 10
Highest Ranking: #10
Lowest Ranking: #15
Last Week: Lost to Clemson 10-24
This Week: at UNLV
11. Florida State (2-2, 0-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 11
Highest Ranking: #6
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Beat Central Arkansas 34-7
This Week: vs. Virginia
10. North Carolina (2-1, 0-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 12
Highest Ranking: #10
Lowest Ranking: #12
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Notre Dame
9. Clemson (3-1, 2-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 9
Highest Ranking: #7
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Beat California 24-10
This Week: vs. Miami
8. Virginia Tech (4-0, 1-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 4
Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #9
Last Week: Beat Boston College 21-14
This Week: vs. Pittsburgh
7. Virginia (3-1, 1-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 6
Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #8
Last Week: Beat Delaware 42-3
This Week: at Florida State
6. Duke (4-0, 1-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 5
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #9
Last Week: Beat William & Mary 62-7
This Week: Bye Week
5. Pittsburgh (4-0, 1-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 7
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #8
Last Week: Beat Bucknell 59-0
This Week: at Virginia Tech
4. Louisville (2-2, 1-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 2
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #7
Last Week: Lost to Wake Forest 27-30
This Week: at NC State
3. #21 SMU (3-1, 1-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 3
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #7
Last Week: Beat Missouri State
This Week: vs. Boston College
2. Wake Forest (3-1, 1-1)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 8
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #6
Last Week: Beat Louisville 30-27
This Week: vs. Stanford
1. #4 Miami (4-0, 2-0)
Last Week's Power Ranking: 1
Highest Ranking: #1
Lowest Ranking: #1
Last Week: Beat Central Michigan 52-3
This Week: at Clemson
Note: Power Rankings are determined by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI editorial staff.
How Do Other On SI Sites See the ACC?
We aren't the only On SI site ranking the ACC this week. Georgia Tech On SI, Virginia On SI, and Virginia Tech On SI have ACC Football Power Rankings this week. Check out their rankings here to see how they compare with our staff's rankings:
- Georgia Tech On SI - Wake Forest No. 4
- Virginia On SI - Wake Forest No. 4
- Virginia Tech On SI - Wake Forest No. 2
What's Next
Wake Forest hosts Stanford on Saturday, October 3, at 12 pm ET. The game will air on The ACC Network.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 12+ writers and photographers covering all sports at Wake Forest. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, ACC Kickoff, and ACC Tipoff. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.