The ACC had another busy week across the landscape of college football, but the conference was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Florida State and SMU were forced to kick off the game nearly two hours after the scheduled start time due to a power outage, and frankly, Clemson would have loved to cancel the game against LSU even without the same circumstances being present. The path to the top of the conference just got a lot harder for Florida State after a difficult loss to the Mustangs.
Multiple programs took major hits in the power rankings after a big Week 1, so let's dive into where each program stands.
17. Boston College Eagles
Currently, there is the ACC, and then there is the Boston College Eagles. Coach Bill O'Brien needed a convincing win over Cincinnati to calm some of the concerns lingering from last season, but the result was the complete opposite. The Bearcats scored 34 points with 85 passing yards and fewer total yards than the Eagles.
16. Clemson Tigers
The Tigers were absolutely obliterated by another set of more menacing Tigers as LSU put on quite the show in Lane Kiffin's debut. Coach Dabo Swinney has notably kept his distance from the transfer portal, and the lasting effects of doing so will likely cost him his job.
15. Florida State Seminoles
Florida State entered Week 0 with plenty to prove to keep the fans at bay while coach Mike Norvell continues to struggle. The team delivered a relatively flat and sloppy performance against New Mexico State in the win, but the bigger issue is how the team responded in Week 1.
The secondary for Florida State was a complete mess, and virtually no improvements were made despite Norvell focusing on his secondary in practice. Everyone agrees that the game between the Seminoles and the Mustangs was close because of the mistakes SMU committed, but Florida State failed to capitalize during a game that felt like the opposing team was trying to give the win away.
The Seminoles need to respond against Alabama in a major way to breathe life into the 2026 season, but early predictions suggest a different outcome.
14. Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal got a reality check from Miami after a solid Week 0 showing against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
13. NC State Wolfpack
Virginia handled NC State, 34-8, in Week 0, and the ineptitude of the offense is beyond concerning for the Wolfpack.
12. Syracuse Orange
The Orange managed to crush a smaller opponent in New Hampshire, but Syracuse needs more than big FCS wins to rise in the ACC.
11. Duke Blue Devils
The 17-3 win over Tulane was not the most convincing way to start the season for Duke, but running back Nate Sheppard could win an extra game or two himself.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels
Bill Belichick could have an improved North Carolina team on his hands for the 2026 season, but a non-conference game against Notre Dame could truly reveal where the team is.
9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Speaking of North Carolina, quarterback Gio Lopez looked solid in his Wake Forest debut with 350 yards and three touchdowns. Upcoming back-to-back games against Miami and Louisville could send the Demon Deacons straight to the bottom of the power rankings.
8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Costly errors and a key blocked kick allowed Colorado to defeat Georgia Tech in an otherwise close competition, but with a talented roster, it may not be time to give up on the Yellow Jackets yet.
7. Cal Golden Bears
Offensive line woes and defensive struggles led to Cal dropping the Week 1 game against UCLA, 45-24. The Golden Bears and the Seminoles share a lot of similarities in terms of weaknesses on the field, but Cal has a quarterback who can potentially solve some of the problems in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
6. Virginia Tech Hokies
VMI realistically never stood a chance against Virginia Tech, but a 73-point performance is enough to propel the Hokies towards the top of the ACC.
5. Virginia Cavaliers
After a beatdown of NC State, the Cavaliers received a much-needed early-season bye to recover before pushing through a busy schedule the rest of the way.
4. Pitt Panthers
Quarterback Mason Heintschel earned ACC Quarterback of the Week honors after tossing seven touchdowns in the win. Pitt needs a strong team overall to move any higher in the rankings, but the sky could be the limit with a new-look Heintschel throwing strikes down the field.
3. SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs somehow managed to pull off the narrow win over Florida State even with multiple turnovers, a delay for the power outage, and a missed field goal. SMU may have survived the contest, but the Seminoles were given every chance to win by the Mustangs. A veteran-led team should be able to push for the top spot if some of the blemishes clear up.
2. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville sits in the second spot in the ACC power rankings despite a loss due to the nature of the contest against a formidable Ole Miss team. A back-and-forth shootout keeps the Cardinals' hopes of overcoming Miami alive.
1. Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are still the top dog in the ACC, and removing Miami from the top position is going to take significant changes.
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