The ACC spent Week 5 looking every bit like the wild league it’s been known to be, and the latest power rankings reflect that chaos. Miami kept rolling, Wake Forest made a loud statement, Pitt survived drama, and a few teams left more questions than answers.
At the top, Miami stays put after a 41-13 win over Clemson. The Hurricanes are 5-0 overall and 3-0 in ACC play, and they’re the one team that has managed to stay clear of the conference noise so far. They’re off this week.
Wake Forest jumps into the No. 2 spot at 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the league after a 57-3 demolition of Stanford. The lone loss keeps the Demon Deacons behind Miami, but it came in what was described as a pretty good effort against the Hurricanes, and the rest of the résumé includes that blowout over Stanford.
Pitt is right there at No. 3 after a 35-33 escape against Virginia Tech. The Panthers are 5-0 and 2-0 in ACC play, though the game came with plenty of controversy over whether Virginia Tech actually hit a last-second field goal that would have won it. The record books, though, still show Pitt as unbeaten.
Duke slides to No. 4 after a bye week. The Blue Devils are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, and the weekend off cost them a spot in the order more than anything else.
Virginia Tech lands at No. 5 following that narrow loss to Pitt. The Hokies are 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play, and they now head to Cal on Saturday.
SMU checks in at No. 6 after a 25-16 win over Boston College. The Mustangs are 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, but the result was closer than they probably wanted against that opponent. SMU is off this week.
NC State comes in at No. 7 after edging Louisville 31-28. At 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, the Wolfpack are still hard to figure out.
Louisville follows at No. 8 after that same 31-28 loss. The Cardinals are 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, and they’re just as tough to pin down.
Florida State sits at No. 9 after beating Virginia 38-7. The Seminoles are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the league, and while the rest of the schedule looks difficult enough that Mike Norvell may not be able to shift the “vibes” around the program much, FSU has at least been solid this season.
Clemson drops to No. 10 after the 41-13 loss to Miami. The Tigers are 3-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC play, and while the rest of the schedule is described as pretty meh, Miami made it clear Clemson still isn’t a particularly good team. Clemson is off this week.
Virginia comes in at No. 11 after falling 38-7 to Florida State. The Cavaliers are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, and the mood around the program is said to feel a lot worse than it did a year ago when they were in the ACC Championship Game, one win away from a College Football Playoff bid.
North Carolina is No. 12 after a 37-26 loss to Notre Dame. The Tar Heels are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play, and the rankings note that they could reasonably be placed just about anywhere from 11 down.
Stanford lands at No. 13 after getting blown out 57-3 by Wake Forest. The Cardinal are 2-3 overall and 1-3 in ACC play, and while they may be improved from their first couple years in the conference, they did not show it in that game.
Cal is No. 14 after a 39-31 loss to UNLV. The Golden Bears are 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, and there are now serious doubts about the Tosh Lupoi era and how long it will last.
Boston College is No. 15 after losing 25-16 to SMU. The Eagles are 2-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play, and the losses to Virginia Tech and SMU by a combined 16 points were described as “quality losses” for a team in BC’s position. Boston College is off this week.
Georgia Tech sits at No. 16 after a bye. The Yellow Jackets are 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the ACC, and the open date gives them a chance to sort through a rough start.
Syracuse rounds out the rankings at No. 17 after a 42-41 overtime win over UConn. The Orange are 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the ACC, but nothing in those wins suggests they’re headed for a strong season.
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North Carolinas football overhaul is moving into a more formal phase, with the school bringing in ZRG Turnkey to run the search for its next football general manager. The hire fits the larger push around Bill Belichicks program, where the Tar Heels are building out the kind of front office structure more commonly seen in the NFL than in college football.
Sean Magee, ZRG Turnkeys vice president of GM solutions and a former Michigan football general manager, will also serve as a consultant to support the GM role, athletic director Steve Newmark and Belichick. Magees background stretches across the college and pro game, including stops with Michigan, the Chicago Bears and Navy, giving UNC an experienced hand as it shapes the operation around its new head coach. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Jordan Just Gave UNC Fans Another Reason To Be Proud
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The money is set to help the Global Social Development Innovations Center, the Jordan Institute for Families, and scholarships for Master of Social Work students, while UNC has also created the Jordan Family Scholars program to award scholarships to 10 students as part of the commitment. For Tar Heels fans, it is another reminder that Jordan's bond with Chapel Hill still runs deep, and it comes with the kind of impact that reaches well beyond the basketball program. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Faces One Pittsburgh Problem That Could Dig The ACC Hole Deeper
North Carolina heads into another demanding ACC test this week, and the setup does not get any easier after the Tar Heels ran into No. 3 Notre Dame. Now it is No. 25 Pittsburgh on the schedule, a team that has already shown it can win tight games and put real pressure on a defense for four quarters.
The Panthers offense runs through sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel, whose production has made him one of the leagues most dangerous passers and helped Pittsburgh stay on the right side of several close calls. With two games already decided by five points or fewer, including a recent win over Virginia Tech, this is the kind of matchup that can deepen North Carolinas ACC trouble if it cannot slow the passing game early. [Read more 🡒]