Week 5 reshuffled the ACC board in a hurry, and Florida State was the big mover. The Seminoles, who entered the week as home underdogs, pulled off an eye-opening win over Virginia and vaulted up the rankings as the league’s picture got a little messier everywhere else.
That result mattered because Florida State had been teetering. Instead, it turned in what the source called its best performance of the season, a showing that suggests the Seminoles may be more dangerous than they looked a week ago.
Whether that means Florida State is finally turning a corner or Virginia was a little overhyped going in, the answer will have to wait. For now, the win was enough to put the Seminoles in the middle of the conference conversation.
They landed at No. 8 in the updated power rankings, one spot behind Virginia and just ahead of Clemson. The defense finally looked like a unit capable of disrupting quarterbacks, and the offense ran almost entirely through Ashton Daniels. Florida State still has work to do, but the momentum is real, and the next test comes against Louisville.
Miami still sits alone at the top after improving to 5-0. The Hurricanes have yet to find a serious ACC challenger, and the rankings reflect that.
Duke held steady at No. 2, even without playing, because no one has done enough to knock the Blue Devils out of that spot. The team still looks like the one most capable of bringing enough force to challenge Miami.
Wake Forest made one of the biggest statements of the week, climbing to No. 3 after improving to 4-1. The Demon Deacons are off to their best start since the 2022 season, and this version of the program does not resemble the ACC bottom dwellers some expected.
Pitt followed at No. 4 despite beating Virginia Tech, because quarterback Mason Heintschel’s ACL injury could be a serious issue. Backup Holden Geriner now has to prove he can keep the Panthers moving.
Virginia Tech checked in at No. 5 after a narrow loss to Pitt. The Hokies are sitting on 206 points scored this season, and that offense may still be good enough to carry them to a few more wins.
SMU climbed to No. 6 after handling Boston College, helped in part by a week full of movement around the league. The Mustangs have a case as the ACC’s best-worst team, with their 10-point win over Missouri State standing as their most convincing victory so far.
Clemson stayed put at No. 7 after getting blown out 41-13 by Miami. The loss hurt, but it came against a team that has looked unstoppable, so there’s still some room to breathe. The real question is what Clemson looks like later this month when Virginia Tech comes to town.
Below Florida State, Virginia fell to No. 10 after running into a wall in Tallahassee. The Cavaliers had some encouraging moments on defense, but the game exposed a team that wasn’t ready for that stage. So much depends on Beau Pribula, and when he struggles, the offense goes with him.
NC State made the biggest jump of the lower half, rising to No. 9 after beating Louisville. That win, paired with Virginia’s loss, gave the Wolfpack a much better week after two early losses to power conference teams.
Louisville dropped all the way to No. 11 after another early setback, and at this point the benefit of the doubt is gone. A loss to Ole Miss can be explained away; the NC State result is much harder to absorb.
California fell to No. 12, still searching for the level many expected. The strange Tosh Lupoi contract situation aside, the Golden Bears have not hit their stride. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has thrown all five of his interceptions in losses, and without him, California’s offense needed a reset.
North Carolina landed at No. 13 after a respectable effort against Notre Dame, but the Tar Heels still need much more production from the offense. More than 26 points is going to be the standard if they want to beat most of the ACC. Syracuse moved up to No. 14 after beating UConn, and Fran Brown may have found something at quarterback in Amari Odom, though the Orange still need more than that.
Stanford slid to No. 15 after the earlier loss to the Demon Deacons made its profile look even worse. The Cardinal offense can score against some teams, but the defense has been a problem against everyone.
Boston College fell to No. 16 after a solid fight against SMU, but the Eagles still lack the playmakers to really threaten anyone. Mason McKenzie does a little of everything, and when he makes mistakes, they loom large because he has to be nearly perfect.
Georgia Tech remains at the bottom at No. 17 after its Week 4 loss to Stanford. With no game in Week 5, the Yellow Jackets had no chance to change the story, and Wake Forest’s blowout of Stanford only made that loss look worse. At this point, the rest of Georgia Tech’s 2026 season is about damage control.
In Other News...
FSU Just Got The ACC Boost It Desperately Needed
Florida State finally got the ACC result it had been chasing, edging Clemson 2-1 in conference soccer to pick up its first league win of the season. Sam Erbach and Wrianna Hudson supplied the goals for the Seminoles, who needed a breakthrough like this to start climbing after an uneven opening stretch in ACC play.
The match had the kind of pressure and back-and-forth sequence Florida State has been looking for, with both goalkeepers called on for multiple saves and Clemson finding one answer in the game. Florida State was able to protect its lead to the end, and now the bigger question is whether this can serve as the kind of turning point the Seminoles have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Running Back Depth Just Took Another Hit At The Worst Time
Florida States backfield was already thinned out by injuries when another unexpected change landed on the roster update. Gemari Sands has been removed from the team and is no longer part of the Seminoles, a development that comes as the program is trying to sort through a running back group that has already taken damage.
Samuel Singleton Jr. is expected to miss a significant portion of the season because of a lower-body injury, and the Seminoles have already adjusted by moving sophomore tight end Gavin Markey over to running back on the updated roster. It leaves Florida State scrambling for answers at a position where depth was supposed to be a strength, and the timing could hardly be worse with the season moving along. [Read more 🡒]
Former FSU Kicker Could Help Miami Reach A Goal Fans Hate
Jake Weinbergs move from Florida State to Miami has turned into one of those small roster twists that can linger on both sides of the rivalry. The former Seminoles kicker has settled in well with the Hurricanes, hitting 5 of 6 field goals and making every extra point so far as Miami has surged through conference play with an unbeaten ACC mark and a roster that is humming on both sides of the ball.
For Florida State, the timing makes the subplot even more noticeable. The Seminoles moved on to Gabe Panikowski, and he has been perfect on field goals and extra points this season, so the position itself has not become a problem in Tallahassee. Still, Weinbergs success in Miami adds a little extra edge to a rivalry outcome Seminoles fans would rather not follow too closely if the Hurricanes keep pushing toward their goal. [Read more 🡒]