ACC Power Rankings: Week 6

Did Miami's nail-biting win against Virginia Tech shake up the ACC Power Rankings?

Sep 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks on from the field as officials review the last play of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

17. Wake Forest (1-3, 0-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 17

What they did in Week 5: Lost to Louisiana 41-38

Despite a big game from Demond Claiborne, the Demon Deacons could not get it done against Louisiana. Wake Forest could not rely on the defense, as only two of Louisiana's drives ended without a score, one punt, and one turnover-on-down. And the offensive performance from Wake Forest wouldn't have been as bad if the Deacons weren't forced to work from behind. Wake averaged just shy of six yards, but Claiborne only ran the ball twelve times. This season has been questionable at best for Wake Forest, and the Deacons need to beat NC State this weekend not to let their season get out of hand. 

16. Florida State (1-4, 1-3)

Last Week (Week 5): 13

What they did in Week 5: Lost to SMU 42-16

Mike Norvell's team finally came back to earth after a 14-9 win against Cal and got dominated by Rhett Lashlee's and Kevin Jennings' SMU team which looks much improved from earlier in the season. DJ Uiagalelei was dealing with an injury, but Mike Norvell said he would've been benched regardless, "In all reality, I was going to make a change anyway to give Brock an opportunity." Brock Glenn is not an elite quarterback, but maybe he can give the Seminoles a different look than DJ Uiagalelei has given them this season. The offense is still abysmal, but giving up 42 points to a SMU offense that scored 15 points against BYU, and 29 points against Nevada is not all that impressive. Florida State's floor is two wins, and they need to try and get back on track against No. 15 Clemson.

15. North Carolina (3-2, 0-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 15

What they did in Week 5: Lost to Duke 21-20

After a demoralizing loss to James Madison, North Carolina dropped the Victory Bell against Duke, and the five-game win streak for the Tar Heels is over. The Tar Heels got out to a 20-0 lead but did not manage to score on their last five drives. The first-half defense was strong, evidenced by the score and the fact that Duke had less than a hundred yards after the first half, and Geoff Collins' defense seemed much improved. It's hard to have a positive outlook on the season for North Carolina because even though the game was close, North Carolina got lucky with some plays to start the half. The Tar Heels' punt was blocked, but the ball went past the line-of-scrimmage and was muffed by Duke, leading North Carolina to continue their drive and finish with three more points. North Carolina still has a favorable schedule down the stretch and could make a bowl game, but conference play could be challenging for the Tar Heels.

14. Cal (3-1, 0-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 14

What they did in Week 5: BYE

Cal had some extra time to prepare for Miami after getting demoralized in week four by Florida State. The previously apparent run game was not present against the one-win Seminoles. Jaydn Ott will have to make magic against the Hurricanes, as Cam Ward still looks better than ever. Cal could easily shoot up these rankings with a win, but the Bears' performance against Florida State was not encouraging.

13. Stanford (2-2, 1-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 10

What they did in Week 5: Lost to No. 17 Clemson 40-14

Stanford returned to earth after a surprising win against Syracuse, being dropped by a hot Clemson team 40-14. Ashton Daniels didn't play the full game after throwing three interceptions and was replaced by Justin Lamson who threw for 54 yards. Micah Ford's 122 yards on the ground was a highlight in an otherwise disappointing game. Stanford's front seven got pushed around in this game, allowing Phil Mafah to average 5.8 yards per carry and only sacking Cade Klubnik once. Matt Rose has been one of the best players on the Cardinal defense, and he can prove himself in Stanford's hardest stretch of games all year. After facing Clemson, Stanford will face off against Virginia Tech, No. 14 Notre Dame, and SMU.

12. Virginia (3-1, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 12

What they did in Week 5: BYE

Virginia had an unfortunate bye in week five following their impressive 43-24 win against Coastal Carolina. Anthony Colandrea has lead the 'Hoos throughout the season, and will continue to be at the helm against Virginia's hardest opponent of the year, Boston College. Malachi Fields has stepped up in a big way, and could step up against Boston College as the Cavs look to remain undefeated in conference play.

11. NC State (3-2, 0-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 16

What they did in Week 5: Def. Northern Illinois 24-17

NC State was punched in the mouth last week against Clemson but responded strongly against Northern Illinois. The win was anything but normal though. The Wolfpack only gained 171 yards, punted eight times, and had only one drive over 36 yards. The defense carried NC State to this win, locking the Northern Illinois offense down in the second half, forcing a fumble, forcing a punt, forcing a field goal, forcing another punt, and forcing an interception on Northern Illinois's five drives in the second half. This was as sloppy as a win can get but in a matchup against a team that was top-25, Dave Doeren will take it.

10. Boston College (4-1, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 4

What they did in Week 5: Def. Western Kentucky 21-20

A win is a win, but the Eagles struggled against Western Kentucky. At the start of the fourth quarter, Boston College trailed by four points and was significantly outgained by the Hilltoppers. Thomas Castellanos was absent in this game with an undisclosed injury, and backup quarterback Grayson James led the Eagles' offense. Castellanos's absence was felt in this game, as James is a much less mobile quarterback and his numbers did not compare to Thomas's numbers earlier in the year. The offense generally underperformed too, it wasn't just Grayson James. Kye Robichaux finished the game with a serviceable 4.5 yards per rush and the Eagles only averaged 3.2 yards per rush. The Eagles locked down in the fourth quarter, but shouldn't have to rely on a 14-point comeback to beat a C-USA team.

9. Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 9

What they did in Week 5: Lost to No. 7 Miami 38-34

Virginia Tech played No. 7 Miami in a game in which they were one call away from a top-ten win. Kyron Drones had arguably his best 2024 performance to date, finishing with a season-high QBR of 83.4. Da'Quan Felton came down with Drones' hail mary pass as chaos ensued in South Beach. Felton and Virginia Tech would storm the field and celebrate until a referee stopped that and announced that there would be an instant replay. After a lengthy review, the call was overturned, and Miami erupted in favor of their Hurricanes. Virginia Tech will never lose another game like this ever, and they're hoping to get back on track against Stanford week.

8. Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2)

Last Week (Week 5): 7

What they did in Week 5: BYE

The Yellow Jackets had an extra week to prepare against Duke, after a disappointing performance against the Louisville Cardinals. Last week was by far Georgia Tech's worst week decision-making-wise, whether it was Haynes King's backward fumble or some questionable play-calling, there's plenty to improve on against Duke. The Yellow Jackets match up against the Blue Devils though, Haynes King is the best quarterback the Blue Devils have faced all season, and Brent Key could have a field day with Duke's one-dimensional offense. Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton have been one of the best wide receiver duos in the ACC, as both receivers are top-ten in the conference in receiving yards. Expect a big day out of Rutherford if Tech can dominate against Duke. 

7. Syracuse (3-1, 1-1)

Last Week (Week 5): 6

What they did in Week 5: Def. Holy Cross 42-14

Syracuse jumped out to a big lead against Holy Cross 21-0 and then started to struggle on defense. Joe Pesansky hit a wide-open Max Mosey down the field for a 63-yard touchdown, then on the next drive Jacob Petersen received a 27-yard pass on the flea flicker to bring the Crusaders within seven points. There were just way too many issues for the Orange to feel confident in this win. Kyle McCord had little to no protection all night, and was sacked three times by the Crusader defense. The Oranged committed five penalties, one of them taking away a Syracuse touchdown, and Syracuse missed all three of their field goal attempts. Winning a game by 28 and being upset with the result sounds ridiculous, but Syracuse was by far the more talented team on the field and didn't show that. Oronde Gadsden has been absent in the passing game, hauling in three receptions total in the last two games, and Syracuse is not the team that they were earlier in the season.

6. SMU (4-1, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 11

What they did in Week 5: Def. Florida State 42-16

All of the woes of the Preston Stone-led SMU offense are no longer apparent with Kevin Jennings at the helm. If Florida State is good at anything, it's definitely their defense, but Jennings made the Florida State defense a non-factor. He's really climbed up the rankings of ACC quarterbacks, and having an elite back like Brashard Smith with him in the backfield helps too. SMU is slowly emerging as one of the better teams in the ACC after underperforming earlier in the week. The Mustangs' defense upfront might be the only weakness, and even though SMU is not the best team in the conference, they could compete against any of the top teams.

5. Duke (5-0, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 8

What they did in Week 5: Def. North Carolina 21-20

Duke extended their win streak to seven games last week--the longest streak in the ACC, and busted North Carolina's five-game win streak in the Victory Bell series. Star Thomas carried the team on his back to the tune of thirty carries, 166 yards, and a clutch touchdown. Not to mention, Thomas also had two receptions, over 40 yards, and a touchdown catch. It was a tale of two halves on both sides of the ball. The first half was a disaster, a 17-0 deficit, generating less than 100 yards of offense, and nothing going right for the Blue Devils. The second half was much different, characterized by some late and risky decisions by Manny Diaz, Duke clawed their way out of the hole to have their biggest comeback win since the 1960s. Duke has had some games fall into their hands, but they will face their biggest test of the year as they play Georgia Tech, a team with a very talented offense.

4. Louisville (3-1, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 3

What they did in Week 5: Lost to No. 16 Notre Dame 31-24

Louisville almost completed a comeback against No.16 Notre Dame after letting up 21 unanswered points in the first quarter. The Cardinals had a fourth-and-one at the Notre Dame 46, and committed a delay-of-game penalty, largely in part due to the home fans at Notre Dame shaking up Tyler Shough and Jeff Brohm. "I give the crowd all the credit, it got loud," Jeff Brohm said. "They couldn't hear the call from me. That can't happen. We have to have a better way in a situation with no timeouts and we have to get a first down. That's on me." Louisville is still a good team, but there's so many regrettable ways to look back at this game, as they will try and move on as they face a red-hot SMU in week six.

3. Pitt (4-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 5

What they did in Week 5: BYE

Pitt had extra time to prepare for their matchup with North Carolina after dropping 73 points on Youngstown State the week prior. Eli Holstein has been shot out of a cannon for the Panthers, and Konata Mumpfield has been his main target. A loss to North Carolina would be detrimental, but expect a ton of offense out of the Pitt-North Carolina matchup as Pitt's shine is their offense, as well as North Carolina's

2. Clemson (3-1, 2-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 2

What they did in Week 5: Def. Stanford 40-14

Clemson started off with a 17-0 lead against Stanford and was in control all throughout the game. Cade Klubnik threw for four touchdowns and ran for a touchdown. Ever since Clemson's loss to Georgia, Clemson has looked like a different team. The defense has emerged on the best unit on the team, Klubnik has picked up the slack, and the Tigers are rolling into ACC play.

1. Miami (5-0, 1-0)

Last Week (Week 5): 1

What they did in Week 5: Def. Virginia Tech 38-34

Miami could’ve easily lost last week’s game against Virginia Tech. The Hokies came out swinging, and Cam Ward turned the ball over three times. Ward found Isaiah Horton for the game-winning touchdown and the Hurricanes offense was humming all game despite the turnovers. Ward is still elite, but the Hurricanes question marks have began to emerge, and it’s possible that Miami is not as good as was expected. They still land at the No. 1 spot in the conference though, due to their undefeated performance and preseason ranking.