Week 7 has officially been completed in the ACC, and there were plenty of changes and odd results that occurred. Miami might not be the mighty conference leader everyone thought, and Florida State could find a way to safely navigate the rest of the conference schedule. It was a big week in college football, and the ACC certainly brought plenty of fireworks.
17. Syracuse Orange (2-4) - Last Week: 16
Without a conference win or a true starting quarterback, the 2026 season may only get worse for Syracuse.
16. Stanford Cardinal (3-4) - Last Week: 17
The Cardinal have arguably the worst defense in the country, but the team has one thing Syracuse does not, and that is a win over Georgia Tech.
15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-4) - Last Week: 14
With perhaps one of the worst offenses in the ACC, Georgia Tech's win over Duke is even more puzzling after dropping the game against Virginia Tech. Nobody knows what this team is capable of, but the upcoming game against Boston College could answer all questions.
14. Boston College Eagles (3-3) - Last Week: 15
The Eagles have already improved upon a terrible 2025 season, but that does not mean that the 2026 season has been anything special.
13. NC State Wolfpack (3-3) - Last Week: 13
No game, no change for NC State as the team enters a must-win situation against Stanford in Week 8.
12. Florida State Seminoles (3-4) - Last Week: 12
Despite losing in Week 7 to Miami, there is not a good enough reason to move Florida State up or down in the power rankings. The Hurricanes were expected to fly through the Seminoles without much resistance, but Florida State put up a significant fight against an opponent who has been in a different weight class this season.
The difference between the loss in Week 7 to Miami and the Week 6 loss to Louisville is how the result came to be. Florida State looked lost from start to finish in all phases against the Cardinals, but a far more poised and prepared team took the field against the Hurricanes. It is obviously not the result you want to see, but the team should not be penalized for making a game out of what many thought would be a beatdown.
11. California Golden Bears (3-4) - Last Week: 10
California has struggled mightily on defense this season, and without quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the offense is in trouble as well.
10. Virginia Cavaliers (4-3) - Last Week: 8
Just when Virginia finds a way to recover from the loss to Florida State, the team again looks dysfunctional in the loss to SMU.
9. Louisville Cardinals (4-3) - Last Week: 9
Wins over Florida State and Syracuse are impressive, but Louisville needs a win against a top team in the ACC to prove itself.
8. Duke Blue Devils (4-2) - Last Week: 5
After a promising 4-0 start, Duke has been tumbling the past two weeks with losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
7. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-2) - Last Week: 11
With a ranked upset win over Pittsburgh and another impressive victory against Duke, North Carolina is starting to put things together.
6. Clemson Tigers (4-2) - Last Week: 7
The Tigers have a pivotal game in Week 8 against Virginia Tech that could prove to be the game that makes or breaks the season.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-2) - Last Week: 3
Playing without your starting quarterback can be tough, and Pittsburgh may continue to fall the rest of the season without a real answer at the position.
4. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) - Last Week: 4
A win over Georgia Tech puts the Hokies back in contention for a potential late-season move toward the top of the conference. Aside from the top three, the ACC has been chaotic this season, and that could continue to work in Virginia Tech's favor.
3. SMU Mustangs (5-1) - Last Week: 6
The Mustangs were always expected to have a strong offense capable of scoring against any team, but the defense was the true question heading into the season. SMU kept Boston College and Virginia below 20 points, but neither performance was particularly convincing with Wake Forest and Notre Dame on the schedule ahead.
2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1) - Last Week: 2
The Demon Deacons already took a crack at Miami this season and lost a hard-fought game, resulting in their only loss of the year. Wake Forest might be a far more formidable opponent than some originally thought, and the looming game against SMU will be another serious test.
1. Miami Hurricanes (6-0) - Last Week: 1
The Hurricanes will not be knocked off the top spot until a team is able to take them down, but the fact that Florida State took them to overtime should be concerning. It might not be long before someone is able to end the winless season.
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