There are now only three ACC teams without a conference loss: Georgia Tech, Virginia, and SMU. To make matters worse for the Canes, those three teams do not face each other this season, with Miami only playing
SMU. Yikes. If they want any chance of making it to Charlotte, Coach Cristobal’s squad better take care of business the rest of the way and hope for a slip-up by Virginia, because GT’s schedule is looking quite favorable. Stupid parity! Ugh.
Without further ado, let’s get to the rankings.
1. Georgia Tech – 7-0 overall, 4-0 conference
The Yellow Jackets were about to be down 7-0 to the Blue Devils late in the first quarter, but Duke quarterback Darian Mensah fumbled, then GT’s Omar Daniels picked up the ball and ran it back for a 95-yard touchdown. And that was the game. In what was largely a defensive struggle, that play gave GT all the momentum. I’ll talk more about the matchup when I get to Duke. But man Brent Key must feel great about the spot his team is in. If I had to bet on one ACC team to make it to Charlotte, it would be Georgia Tech.
2. Virginia – 6-1, 3-0
Virginia did its best Ole Miss impression last week with their close home win over pesky Washington State. Wazzu held a 20-10 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. After a couple scores, the Cavaliers forced a safety with two-and-a-half minutes left after Wazzu’s other kick returner (the one away from the ball) made a fair catch at the two-yard line. I’ve never seen that happen. But hey, a win is a win. Obviously it wasn’t a conference game, yet it keeps the Cavaliers in the hunt for the CFP. Next up are back-to-back road games vs UNC and Cal. The Cal game will be tricky as all east coast teams know. Still, what a seven-game start for Tony Elliott and Virginia. I know I didn’t see it coming.
3. Louisville – 5-1, 2-1
Last Friday night, Louisville coach Jeff Brohm did exactly what I was scared he would do, coach circles around Cristobal and the Miami staff. It was both sides of the ball, too. Firstly, Brohm is an offensive coach, and it showed with his near flawless game plan. Running back Isaac Brown and wide receiver Chris Bell were both better than every Canes skill player not named Malachi Toney. Second, the Cardinals looked prepared, played fast, and tackled really well on defense. They held the Canes to field goals on multiple red zone trips. They didn’t allow one truly explosive running play. They made Miami look bad for long stretches of the game. (Sigh). Okay, time to move on before I get more depressed.
4. SMU – 5-2, 3-0
Here come the Mustangs. Their first three conference games have come against two backup quarterbacks and Stanford, but they took care of business. Rhett Lashlee’s squad travels to Wake Forest before hosting the Canes on 11/1, with that being Miami’s first time leaving the state of Florida this season. SMU is definitely playing better lately. The offense looks more like last season’s version, and the defense isn’t killing them, which is good. Miami transfer running back Chris Johnson Jr. had another nice game, leading the team in rushing with 59 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. He was also second in receiving, with 40 yards on four receptions.
5. Pitt – 5-2, 3-1
The Panthers were tied with Syracuse after the first quarter, then pulled away for a 30-13 win last Saturday. After what looked like a possibly lost season, it is now one of great opportunity. Pitt hosts NC State, then travels to Stanford before its second bye. If Pat Narduzzi’s squad can avoid being upset the next two Saturdays, they will be 7-2 going into their three-game gauntlet to close the season: vs #12 Notre Dame, at #7 GT, vs #9 Miami. Pitt might currently hold the title for the ACC team “no one wants to play right now”. It’s a good title to have.
6. Duke – 4-3, 3-1
Is Duke a better team than Miami? Probably not, but the Blue Devils have two more conference wins, plus I’m mad the Canes lost, so there ya go. Manny Diaz’s squad played Georgia Tech tough. They rallied to take a 10-7 lead into halftime, but I truly believe the first quarter fumble-six cost them the game. GT scored the first 20 points in the second half, before a late score and two-point conversion by the Blue Devils made the final margin closer than the actual game. Still, Duke has to be one of, if not the best 4-3 team in the country. They travel to Clemson after a bye this week.
7. Miami – 5-1, 1-1
(Deep sigh). I could write 10,000 words about the loss to Louisville specifically, the incredibly boring and ineffective running game (check out our “Duo” piece from earlier this week), the defense’s lack of preparation, or Mario Cristobal’s history of getting out coached in certain games. Instead, I’ll simply write these nineteen words: Miami better get its shit together and win out, or it will be a far bigger disappointment than 2024.
8. Cal – 5-2, 2-1
Cal got its second conference win of the season late last Friday night in Berkeley against UNC. The game was closer than the Golden Bears would’ve liked, but they never trailed and came away with a victory. I mentioned it last week, but these next three games are huge, especially with the travel. Cal goes to Va Tech this Saturday, then comes home to face #16 Virginia, followed by a road trip to #19 Louisville the following weekend. To cap it off, the Golden Bears close the season hosting SMU. Cal could be this season’s spoiler team in the ACC. For Miami’s sake, I hope it happens.
9. Stanford – 3-4, 2-2
I’m so mad at myself for not betting more money on the Cardinal last weekend. It had all the makings of the perfect upset. Late kickoff, home team with nothing to lose, road team in disarray. Stanford must be pleased with interim coach Frank Reich this season. The program has two conference wins in four games, with one coming over a name program like FSU. I thought the Cardinal would be hovering around the 15-17 range every week here, but they have exceeded expectations in 2025.
10. Wake Forest – 4-2, 1-2
The Demon Deacons had a bye last weekend. They return to ACC play this Saturday, hosting SMU. Oooh, and the game is on CW. That CW announcing tandem is..interesting. And by interesting, I mean mostly bad. As far as the game, I could see Jake Dickert dialing up a game plan that gives the Mustangs’ defense trouble. Wake Forest travels to Virginia in a couple weeks. Looks like we might have another ACC spoiler candidate! I am all for it.
11. Clemson – 3-4, 2-3
The Tigers put up a valiant effort at home against SMU with backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina. He went 29-42 for 317 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Not bad. It was Clemson’s defense that let the team down. They gave up a 70-yard bomb from SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings to Jordan Hudson in the first quarter. Overall, the Tigers allowed 429 yards and 35 points at home. That is not Clemson football, no matter who is playing quarterback. Speaking of that, I didn’t even know Cade Klubnik was hurt until it was announced that he would be missing the game Saturday morning. I wonder what his draft stock is looking like after this nightmare first half of the season.
12. NC State – 4-3, 1-2
The Wolfpack had a bye last week after their loss at Notre Dame. I hope they practiced well, because they play at Pitt, then host Georgia Tech. I might know less about NC State than any other team in the ACC. I have definitely watched them the least. I sure hope they can pull off a couple upsets in a row! Wait, my ACC Rooting Guide posts later this week. I’m sorry. I’m old and I get confused.
13. Syracuse – 3-4, 1-3
I hope injured quarterback Steve Angeli can come back healthy next season. The Orange need to win three of their last five games to become bowl eligible. Their opponents are GT, UNC, Miami, Notre Dame, and BC. I see two likely wins there. If Syracuse beats any of the big three ranked opponents they face, it’ll be a huge upset that probably ruins a team’s season. I guarantee that is what Fran Brown is preaching to his squad for their road matchup with Georgia Tech this Saturday.
14. Virginia Tech – 2-5, 1-2
The Hokies are coming off a much needed bye. I genuinely wonder if Va Tech is in any better of a position than the other football schools with head coaching vacancies. It seems like they were since they made the move so early in the season, but then Penn State and Florida fired their coaches before Halloween. So, who will be the next Va Tech head coach? I’m honestly asking. I have no idea. Shane Beamer maybe? South Carolina stinks this year. That would actually work out nicely, because Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers could then transfer to Miami. Sounds good to me!
15. FSU – 3-4, 0-4
It turns out the 13-0 start to the 2023 season was the outlier for Seminoles coach Mike Norvell. His record with Jordan Travis as quarterback is 29-10. Without Travis, it’s 7-20. Wow. That stinks. Moving on, I will give myself credit. I was never impressed with Norvell as a coach, and definitely not as a recruiter (he’s been getting his ass kicked by Mario Cristobal and even Billy Napier for the top high school guys, especially in Florida). The recent statement released by the FSU athletic department basically read like they were just going to wait until after the season to fire Norvell and his staff. It always feels good to be right, doesn’t it?
16. UNC – 2-4, 0-2
The Tar Heels lost a close game at Cal last Friday night. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any major UNC storyline outside of the loss, which is a win in its own right. Actually, nevermind. I saw the behind-the-scenes clip that Pablo Torre showed of that football show where Belichick’s girlfriend was bossing everyone around, while continuing to mention basic computer programs to people who have far more knowledge and experience than her. It was tough to watch, but at the same time incredibly entertaining. UNC returns home to face #16 Virginia this Saturday afternoon.
17. Boston College – 1-6, 0-4
BC got whooped by former Big East foe UConn last Saturday, 38-23. I thought the Huskies might be fraudulent due to their weak schedule and the fact that BC was a slight betting favorite. Turns out BC is just plain awful. I have no idea what’s going on up in Chestnut Hill, but it’s worse than anyone thought it would be. BC is the inverse of Stanford this season. It doesn’t get any easier for Bill O’Brien’s squad, as they play at Louisville this Saturday night.
See you next week!
