ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Four

The top three in the ACC seems clear right now, but the rest of the conference still appears wide open

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) throws a touchdown pass against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Another week has gone by in the ACC and the top three still seems to be the same. Clemson and Louisville were off while Miami destroyed a bad Ball State team 62-0. The rest of the ACC still seems open though and a new contender might be emerging.

After coming back from a big defecit to beat Cincinnati, Pitt engineered another 4th quarter comeback yesterday in their rivalry game vs West Virginia. The Panthers offense has been impressive, particularly quarterback Eli Holstein, and Pitt might be a team to be reckoned with down the stretch if their offense remains strong.

So does the rest of the ACC shake out this week?

17. Florida State (0-3, 0-2). Last week: 17

I don't know what to say that has not already been said. This team looks bad and they might miss a bowl game at this rate. The offense looks miserable and the team looks poorly coached. The defense was solid against Memphis yesterday, but everything else remains terrible for FSU. They might be 0-4 after playing Cal this weekend.

16. Wake Forest (1-2, 0-1). Last week: 16

The Demon Deacons had a tough time yesterday vs Ole Miss, but that was to be expected. Dave Clawson's team has a bye week on Saturday to try and get right.

15. NC State (2-1, 0-0). Last week: 12

The Wolfpack were lucky to escape with a win vs Louisiana Tech yesterday and the tough start to the season continued. The health of quarterback Grayson McCall is going to be the big question heading into Saturday's ACC opener vs Clemson.

14. Stanford (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 15

Stanford was off this weekend and will play their first ACC game next Friday against Syracuse.

13. SMU (2-1, 0-0). Last week: 13

SMU was off this week and will face TCU on Saturday.

12. Virginia (2-1, 1-0). Last week: 8

It was a disappointing result for Virginia on Saturday when they lost at home to Maryland. The offense could not get anything going vs the Terrapins. Coastal Carolina is next up for UVA and they must win that game to strengthen their bowl hopes.

11. Virginia Tech (2-1, 0-0). Last week: 14

The Hokies looked strong against Old Dominion on Saturday and the runnning game looks like it is finally rounding into form. The next two weeks are going to tell us a lot about Virginia Tech though, as they face Rutgers and Miami.

10. Duke (3-0, 0-0). Last week: 10

It was not pretty, but the Blue Devils got the win against UConn and remain undefeated. This was an important game for Duke in terms of their bowl hopes and it was crucial for Manny Diaz to get this win. The Blue Devils travel to Middle Tennessee next week and a 4-0 start is certainly in sights.

9. Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1). Last week: 9

It was only VMI, but Georgia Tech dominated the game exactly how you would want them too. The defense was relentless and the offense was very efficent, especially through the air. The Yellow Jackets can re-insert themselves into the ACC race if they can find a way to upset Louisville on Saturday.

8. Boston College (2-1, 1-0). Last week: 4

For a moment, it looked like the Eagles might be ready to establish themselves as a top ACC team if they had knocked off No. 6 Missouri, but Boston College fell just short. This still looks like a good team though and should be able to make a bowl game. Will they be able to defeat Michigan State at home this weekend?

7. North Carolina (3-0, 0-0). Last week: 7

It still feels like we don't really know much about North Carolina right now. They did beat Minnesota, but wins over Charlotte and NC Central don't show much about the team. Could James Madison be a sneaky test at home this weekend?

6. Cal (3-0, 0-0). Last week: 6

The Golden Bears remained undefeated on Saturday by beating San Diego State and now they must travel across the country for their first ACC conference game. The defense has looked strong through three weeks and that might be enough against a Florida State team who can't score against anyone right now.

5. Syracuse (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 5

Syracuse was off this week and will face Stanford on Friday.

4. Pitt (3-0, 0-0). Last week: 4

Is Pitt really the 4th best team in the ACC? They might be and they have earned this spot over the rest of the teams due to two wins over Big 12 teams. The Panthers defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but the offense looks the best it has since they won the ACC in 2021. With Youngstown State on deck, a 4-0 start appears imminent for Pat Narduzzi's team.

3. Louisville (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 3

Louisville was off this weekend and faces Georgia Tech at home next Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

2. Clemson (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 2

Clemson was off this weekend and will host NC State next Saturday (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC)

1. Miami (3-0, 0-0). Last week: 1

The Hurricanes continue to roll vs subpar competition, but you can't deny they look impressive right now. Cam Ward has been flawless and Miami outgained Ball State on Saturday 750-115. Miami will need to be careful on Saturday in their road game vs South Florida, who gave Alabama all they could handle earlier in the year. Still, Miami looks like the class of the ACC right now and Ward might be the Heisman front runner.