The ACC race keeps splintering by the week, and Wake Forest’s trip to Cal could push the picture a little further.
Thirteen teams began last week with one or no conference losses. That number is down to 10, and with seven ACC games on this week’s schedule, at least three more teams are going to pick up their second league defeat.
Cal has a chance to make that logjam even messier. If the Bears beat Wake Forest, they’d move to 3-1 in ACC play and land in a tie for second place. That would also mean a second straight home upset over a favored opponent, though there’s still uncertainty around quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who may not be cleared from concussion protocol in time to play.
At the top, Miami remains in control. The third-ranked Hurricanes return from a bye to host Florida State, and while the chase behind them is crowded, they look a cut above the rest of the league. Miami is one of nine unbeaten FBS teams left.
Here’s a look around the weekend’s ACC slate:
Virginia (plus-9.5) at No. 24 SMU, 9 a.m., CW Network
Virginia is 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the league, but this is the kind of game that will tell us plenty. The Cavaliers have already been beaten badly once away from home, losing 38-7 at Florida State, and SMU beat that same Florida State team 27-24 on the road to open the season. Virginia also dropped its previous meeting with SMU, 33-7 at home two years ago.
Charleston Southern at Clemson, 9 a.m., ACC Network
Clemson gets a breather outside league play, and Charleston Southern’s recent results against power-conference opponents do not suggest much drama. The Buccaneers lost 45-3 to Vanderbilt last year, and when they faced Clemson in 2023, the Tigers rolled 66-17 while outgaining them 679 yards to 73.
Pittsburgh (minus-6.5) at Boston College, 9 a.m., ESPN2
Pitt is trying to steady itself after losing 21-17 at home to North Carolina last week. Holden Geriner, who stepped in after Mason Heintschel tore his right ACL in Pitt’s 35-33 win at Virginia Tech two weeks ago, was intercepted twice in his first start. Boston College has its own issues, having dropped two competitive ACC games since beating Maine.
Georgia Tech (plus-10) at Virginia Tech, 12:30 p.m., ACC Network
Georgia Tech’s season has already produced plenty of swings. The Yellow Jackets lost at Stanford two weeks ago, then bounced back with a win over Duke last week. Virginia Tech has now lost back-to-back games to Pitt and Cal, and Georgia Tech beat the Hokies 35-20 when they met last year in Atlanta.
North Carolina at Duke
This rivalry has delivered plenty of drama on the football field in recent seasons. Duke won 32-25 last year on a touchdown with 2:18 left.
Two years ago, the Blue Devils came back from 20-0 down to win 21-20. North Carolina won 47-45 in 2023 when Drake Maye ran 5 yards for the decisive touchdown in the second overtime.
Florida State (plus-21.5) at No. 3 Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN
Miami has been overwhelming people, winning by nearly 40 points per game on average. Florida State, meanwhile, may try to slow things down and lean on Ousmane Kromah, who has 565 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The problem is that Miami leads the ACC in run defense, allowing just 42.6 yards per game and 1.8 yards per play.
Elon at Stanford, 4:30 p.m., ACC Network-X
Stanford badly needs this one after ugly losses to Wake Forest and Notre Dame by a combined 115-10 over the past two weeks. Elon has not been within 20 points of an FBS opponent in four tries dating back to 2019.
Louisville (minus-15.5) at Syracuse, 4:30 p.m., ACC Network
Louisville has scored at least 27 points in every game, so the Cardinals’ issue is on the other side of the ball. They rank 15th in the ACC in scoring defense at 27.7 points allowed per game and have given up 30 or more four times. Syracuse has lost three of its past four, with the lone win coming by one point in overtime against FBS independent UConn.
No. 21 Wake Forest (minus-9.5) at Cal, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
This is a big test for Cal, which is coming off a 25-20 upset of Virginia Tech and now faces a stretch of three straight road games beginning next week at No. 24 SMU.
Wake Forest is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the ACC, and since Jake Dickert took over last season, the Demon Deacons are 14-5. They’ve also been perfect away from home this season, winning at Purdue, Louisville and NC State.
In Other News...
Cal's QB Debate Just Got More Complicated Before Wake Forest
Jackson Brousseau added his name to Cals quarterback conversation with a poised performance in the win over Virginia Tech, one that earned him recognition as a Manning Star of the Week and gave the Bears another viable option under center. He became the second Cal quarterback this season to earn that nod, a notable development for a team trying to sort out stability at the position while also keeping pace in a conference race that does not allow much room for uncertainty.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had already been in that spotlight earlier this season, but his status remains in flux after the concussion he suffered against UNLV, leaving Saturday night against Wake Forest as a potentially pivotal checkpoint for the Bears. The wrinkle for Cal is that Wake Forest is bringing its own momentum at quarterback, with Gio Lopez also recognized after his win over North Carolina State, which only adds to the sense that this matchup could turn on which QB situation is more settled by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces A Telling Test Against One Of The ACC's Hottest Teams
Wake Forest arrives in Berkeley on Saturday night as one of the ACCs steadiest early-season teams, carrying a three-game winning streak and a No. 21 national ranking into a meeting that should tell a lot about where California stands. The Golden Bears are coming off a win and have had to make adjustments because of injuries, so this is the kind of test that can quickly show whether recent progress is real or just temporary momentum.
For Cal, the challenge goes beyond simply keeping up with a hot opponent. Wake Forest sits second in the ACC and has already looked comfortable handling different game scripts, which makes this a useful measuring stick for a Bears team still piecing things together. With both sides preparing for a spotlight game in Berkeley, the matchup feels less like a midseason checkpoint and more like a chance to see which team can keep its form intact when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
Cal's Wake Forest Outlook Suddenly Rests On One Huge Injury Call
Cals setup for Wake Forest got a lot murkier after the first injury report, which listed quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, running back Adam Mohammed and safety Kingston Lopa as questionable. It also had Cooper Perry in the same category and Nate Burrell out, leaving Cal with more uncertainty than usual heading into a matchup where availability could shape both the game plan and the matchup on each side of the ball.
Wake Forest has some questions of its own, with receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive lineman Langston Hardy also listed as questionable. But the bigger Cal subplot is at quarterback, where the Bears may have to turn to Jackson Brousseau if Sagapolutele is unable to go, a development that would force a significant late-week adjustment and make Saturdays outlook even harder to pin down. [Read more 🡒]