Last week, the ACC was a massive mystery. Coming out of Week 3, things are starting to take shape as league play is underway for many squads.
We know that Clemson has a long way to go to being a contender after losing 24-21 at Georgia Tech. Miami is the class of the league, and the bottom is getting uglier and uglier, especially at Virginia Tech, where hope is all but lost again. The middle is still messy and harder to figure out.
Let’s dive into Week 3 power rankings:
Brad Senkiw
1. Miami Hurricanes
The undisputed best team in the ACC and now the betting favorite to win the league, Miami flexed in Week 3 with a 37-point thrashing of a ranked USF squad. This is just a solid all-around team right now, and it feels really weird. Florida awaits this week.
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Brent Key’s squad finally ended a nine-game losing skid to Clemson on a dramatic field goal. Haynes King is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and the Yellow Jackets have an early leg up in the race to Charlotte.
3. Florida State Seminoles
A week off for the Seminoles, but the win over Alabama is aging well. What’s surprising is that three weeks into the season, they are this much better than Clemson.
4 NC State Wolfpack
Dave Doeren is putting hot-seat talk to bed. The Pack were in a dogfight early against Wake Forest but pitched an impressive shutout in the second half to roll by 10.
5 Louisville Cardinals
Another team that didn’t play this week, so it’s hard to move them down, but I still don’t know enough about UL. A game against Bowling Green on Saturday won’t change that.
6. Clemson Tigers
This might be too high for a 1-2 team that’s done nothing impressive this season, but so many ACC squads ranked below Clemson have underwhelmed as well. None of them were picked preseason top five, though.
7. Cal Bears
I’m ready to admit I was too low on this team in the preseason. An impressive win over Minnesota and a 3-0 start have me thinking Justin Wilcox’s squad can compete for the upper half of the ACC.
8. Pittsburgh Panthers
Tough overtime road loss in the Backyard Brawl. This is still a team that can make some noise in conference play.
9. SMU Mustangs
SMU trailed 10-0 to Missouri State before waking up and winning 28-10. I'm still waiting for the Ponies to do something that catches my attention.
10. Virginia Cavaliers
Nice and easy blowout win for Tony Elliott’s bunch. The Wahoos put up over 700 yards of total offense and scored 55 points against William & Mary.
11. North Carolina Tar Heels
Even though it was against an FCS team, a 41-6 victory for North Carolina showed that they can win easily. We’ll see if that carries to this week, when the Tar Heels go to UCF as an underdog.
12. Syracuse Orange
Fran Brown’s offense goes off for 66 points and 620 yards against Colgate. Nice confidence builder before facing a vulnerable Clemson squad on Saturday at noon.
13. Boston College Eagles
Well, so much for building hope in Chestnut Hill. BC lost to a Stanford team that hadn’t won or looked competitive this year. Down go the Eagles.
14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Deacs hung with NC State for a while. They just don’t know how to finish and aren’t very talented, but effort is there.
15. Duke Blue Devils
What in the Ted Roof was that, Manny Diaz? You got beat by Tulane on the road and are now 1-2, ruining what little faith anybody (me) had in your Blue Devils.
16. Stanford Cardinal
Welcome to the college football win column, Frank Reich. You’re no longer in the basement of the league, either.
17. Virginia Tech Hokies
The 0-3 start and an embarrassing loss to Old Dominion in Week 3 led to Brent Pry getting axed before the leaves could change colors in Blacksburg. The windy mountain road to rebuilding takes yet another detour.
Zach Lentz
1. Miami Hurricanes (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
Miami’s back, and this time it feels real. The Hurricanes punched USF in the mouth and claimed the No. 1 spot while Florida State sat idle. Mario Cristobal’s group has balance, swagger, and a defense nasty enough to dictate games. The tug-of-war for the top between Miami, Florida State, and Georgia Tech is only just beginning.
2. Florida State Seminoles (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
The Seminoles didn’t play, yet somehow climbed in the coaches poll. That’s respect — or maybe just reputation. Either way, the Miami showdown in a few weeks looks like a College GameDay lock. Mike Norvell’s team is loaded, but until they knock off Miami or Clemson, the hype is still just talk.
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
Haynes King is officially the real deal. Georgia Tech stunned Clemson in Atlanta, notching one of the program’s biggest wins in decades. With an ACC schedule softer than hotel pillows, the Jackets are suddenly lurking in the playoff conversation. Yes, really.
4. NC State Wolfpack (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
The Wolfpack handled Wake Forest with business-like efficiency. Dave Doeren has his team in rhythm, but the second half of the schedule is a gauntlet. If they want to stay in the top five, the next month will have to be nearly perfect.
5. California Golden Bears (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
Quietly, Cal is making noise. Wins over Oregon State and Minnesota might not move the national needle, but they’re enough to turn heads in the ACC. Ten wins isn’t crazy talk anymore in Berkeley.
6. Louisville Cardinals (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
Bye week for Jeff Brohm’s crew, but Bowling Green awaits. With a likely 3-0 start, Louisville is sitting comfortably near the top and has the look of a team that can crash the ACC race.
7. Syracuse Orange (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
The Orange steadied the ship after a disastrous opener against Tennessee. Wins over UConn and Colgate won’t earn headlines, but Clemson comes calling this week. Win that one, and this team goes from under the radar to front-page news.
8. Clemson Tigers (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
This isn’t the Clemson we’re used to. Cade Klubnik’s flashes weren’t enough against Georgia Tech, and Dabo Swinney’s Tigers look fragile. Lose again soon — Syracuse, perhaps — and the playoff dream dies before October.
9. Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
Pitt laid an egg against rival West Virginia, a team fresh off losing to the MAC. That’s not how you stay in the upper half of the conference. A brutal late schedule means bowl eligibility will need to come fast.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
The Tar Heels are a mystery wrapped in inconsistency. Losing by 34 to TCU exposed flaws everywhere, but Richmond provided a feel-good tune-up. UCF on the road is the litmus test.
11. SMU Mustangs (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
Ranked to start the season, the Mustangs have been nothing but underwhelming since. Beating Missouri State doesn’t erase the Baylor flop. A rivalry clash with TCU is the next real measuring stick.
12. Virginia Cavaliers (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
Virginia handled William & Mary as expected, but the celebration will be short-lived. Florida State looms, and reality will come crashing in.
13. Boston College Eagles (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
Losing to Stanford — this Stanford — is inexcusable. If your one win is Fordham, you’re living on borrowed time. Jeff Hafley’s seat is hotter than ever.
14. Duke Blue Devils (1-2, 0-0 ACC)
Losses to Illinois and Tulane were predictable, but they sting nonetheless. The schedule softens, so a bowl is still in play, but the Blue Devils look like a team searching for an identity.
15. Stanford Cardinal (1-2, 1-0 ACC)
A win at last. Stanford finally showed signs of life against Hawaii, but don’t get it twisted — this team is still destined for the basement. The ACC standings may say third place, but reality screams otherwise.
16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-1, 0-1 ACC)
A strong opener against Western Carolina turned into a nightmare versus NC State. The Deacons lack the firepower to hang with the ACC’s upper crust. The drop was inevitable.
17. Virginia Tech Hokies (0-3, 0-0 ACC)
Brent Pry is out after going 16-24, and the Hokies are officially in freefall. Giving up 40 points to both Vanderbilt and Old Dominion sealed his fate. Virginia Tech is a once-proud program staring at rock bottom — and $6 million reasons to wonder what’s next.