ACC Football Power Rankings: Week 1 Shakeups Across Conference

It's safe to say that Week 1 of the 2026 college football season delivered the exciting moments that fans waited months for.

The ACC delivered plenty of ups-and-downs. While the Miami Hurricanes blew out Stanford, Clemson was taken to the woodshed by LSU, and Louisville came up just short against Ole Miss. The SMU Mustangs also barely escaped Tallahassee with a win, despite compiling nearly 600 yards of offense.

To say the least, it was a wild weekend, and that's led to an early season shakeup in the power rankings.

ACC Power Rankings After Week 1

1. Miami Hurricanes

Sep 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah (10) stands on the field after defeating the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 1

Dominant. That's all you can say about Miami's 45-6 victory against Stanford. In a West Coast opener where the Hurricanes could've sleep-walked on a Friday night, Mario Cristobal's squad made a statement.

Miami outgained Stanford 549-299. New star quarterback Darian Mensah completed 90% of his passes, and Heisman contender Malachi Toney had nearly 250 yards. The defensive line also held up.

The Hurricanes begin non-conference play against Florida A&M on Thursday.

2. SMU Mustangs

Last week: No. 2

SMU looked much better than Florida State on Monday night, and probably should've won by three scores. The Mustangs had a 585-324 edge in total yards, and a major advantage on third down on both sides of the ball.

However, 4 turnovers, including two poor decisions by Kevin Jennings, kept the Seminoles hanging around until the final seconds. I'll keep SMU here for now, with the bet that they'll cut down on turnovers and penalties moving forward.

The Mustangs play UC Davis on Saturday.

3. Louisville Cardinals

Sep 6, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (3) throws a touchdown pass against the Mississippi Rebels during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 3

Despite a last-second loss to Ole Miss in Nashville, Louisville looked capable against one of the top programs in the SEC. Both teams got rolled offensively in the second half, and the lights turned on for transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who was making his first start.

Kienholz flashed over the final two quarters. The defense needs work after allowing 336 yards through the air.

Louisville can iron out some of its issues against Villanova on a short week.

4. Virginia Cavaliers

Last week: No. 5

Virginia was off in Week 1, but I haven't updated the power rankings since before the Week 0 slate. At the end of August, the Cavaliers crushed NC State, building a 24-0 advantage and ultimately winning 34-8.

The Wolfpack were limited to 168 yards and turned the ball over twice. Virginia leaned on the ground game as Beau Pribula did enough to earn a victory in his first start for the Cavaliers.

Virginia should keep rolling against Norfolk State.

5. Pittsburgh Panthers

Sep 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) looks to pass against the Miami (OH) RedHawks during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 6

Pittsburgh took care of business against an overmatched Miami (OH) squad. The Panthers were up 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, running away from the RedHawks for a 59-14 result.

Sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel threw for a career-high 453 yards, with 7 touchdown passes to seven different wide receivers. The offense appears to be a true weapon for the Panthers.

Pittsburgh plays a decent UCF team next week.

6. Duke Blue Devils

Last week: No. 10

The reigning ACC Champions did enough to win their first game of 2026, as Duke dispatched Tulane 17-3. The Blue Devils didn't surrender a point until the fourth quarter.

Nate Sheppard carried the load on the ground, but Duke will need more out of quarterback Walker Eget. He only threw for 131 yards on 26 attempts in his opening start.

Expect the Blue Devils to be tested on the road against Illinois.

7. Virginia Tech Hokies

Last week: No. 7

Virginia Tech opened the James Franklin era with a bang, spanking VMI 73-3. The Hokies racked up 619 yards while only giving up 83. Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 17/20 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns to aid a productive ground attack.

The defense was blistering, recording 18 tackles for loss and 5 sacks.

The Hokies should continue their strong start against Old Dominion, though they did fall to the Monarchs in 2025.

8. North Carolina Tar Heels

Last week: No. 15

North Carolina was on a BYE to recover from its trip to Ireland. The international game was a success as the Tar Heels held on against TCU, winning 15-10 in Dublin.

Bill Belichick has a little bit more to work with on offense in year two. The defense also stepped up in critical situations.

North Carolina can build more momentum with a blowout win over East Tennessee State.

9. Cal Golden Bears

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Tosh Lupoi yells before the game against the UCLA Bruins at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cal was tied up with UCLA going into the fourth quarter, but was outscored 21-0 in the final frame. While the final score was certainly a disappointment, the Golden Bears did show life in Tosh Lupoi's first game.

Quarterback Jaron-Kaewe Sagapolutele displayed some of his potential, but also tossed 2 interceptions.

Cal looks to bounce back on the road against Syracuse this weekend, its ACC opener.

Last week: No. 13

10. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Last week: No. 11

Wake Forest aired it out with ease in a 38-16 win over Akron. Transfer quarterback Gio Lopez threw for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns, with all of those scores coming in the first half.

Head coach Jake Dickert wasn't pleased with his squad going into halftime. The Demon Deacons were promptly outscored 13-10 over the final two quarters.

Wake Forest needs to be more consistent when it travels to Purdue.

11. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell stands on the field during warmups before his team faced SMU at Doak Campbell Stadium on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 11

I have no idea what to do with Florida State. The Seminoles were close to pulling off another early-season upset. However, the program clearly didn't have the firepower to match the Mustangs on either side of the ball.

Fans are exasperated with the situation. Though Florida State is off this week, there are plenty of rumblings in Tallahassee, and Mike Norvell's seat won't get any cooler if the Seminoles get handled by Alabama on September 19.

12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Last week: No. 8

Georgia Tech missed the presence of former offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner against Colorado. The Yellow Jackets never found a rhythm on offense, even though Alberto Mendoza made a few nice plays.

Regardless of the issues, Georgia Tech was in a position to pull out the win but had its field goal blocked. The Yellow Jackets need to do some soul-searching, as the schedule won't get any easier when they host Tennessee on Saturday night.

13. NC State Wolfpack

Last week: No. 9

CJ Bailey was NC State's leading rusher and passer in the loss to Virginia. That sounds good on paper, but he compiled 117 total yards and turned the ball over two times.

NC State has an opportunity to get back on track against Richmond, but falls down the rankings after a porous performance.

14. Syracuse Orange

Last week: No. 14

Syracuse won its season opener against Richmond 66-3. However, I need to see more from the Orange to justify bumping them up. A win over Cal would certainly help.

Steve Angeli was solid in his return from an Achilles injury, completing 20/29 passes for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns.

15. Clemson Tigers

Clemson football Dabo Swinney speaks to media at the week 2 press conference in the Smart Family Media Center in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, September 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 4

Clemson got flat-out smoked by LSU in Baton Rouge. LSU was up 51-3 before Clemson put a garbage-time touchdown on the board in the final minutes. It was Dabo Swinney's largest defeat as the head coach of the program.

The Tigers replaced plenty of production this offseason, and quarterback Christopher Vizzina only threw for 83 yards. Tait Reynolds wasn't any better.

To say the least, Clemson has to play much better against Georgia Southern. Either way, a loss like that sends the Tigers soaring down.

16. Stanford Cardinal

Last week: No. 16

Stanford is out to a 1-1 start, defeating Hawaii and falling to Miami. The Cardinal likely have plenty of losses coming up. Three of their next four games are on the road.

The offense needs to step up to have any chance of walking out of Duke with a win.

17. Boston College Eagles

Nov 29, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien walks off the field prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: No. 17

The Eagles remain in last place after a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati, a spot that I expect Boston College to hold for most, if not all, of the 2026 season.

Boston College actually outgained the Bearcats, but its first six drives resulted in four punts, a missed field goal, and a lost fumble in enemy territory.

The Eagles host Rutgers on Friday, another program coming off a horrendous defeat.

ACC Power Rankings After Week 1

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