Miami kept its grip on the top spot after surviving Florida State in double overtime, and the Hurricanes’ spot at No. 1 in the country now goes hand in hand with the top rung in the ACC. Even in a game that needed some help from the officials, a win still counts as a win.
The biggest mover near the top was Wake Forest, which went on the road and flattened Cal. The Demon Deacons led 41-0 and did not allow a touchdown until garbage time, a result that pushed Jake Dickert’s team inside the top 20 for the first time since 2022.
SMU didn’t exactly light it up on offense, but it did enough to get past Virginia 23-13. That November stretch looms large for the Mustangs, with back-to-back games against Wake Forest and Notre Dame likely to shape their season.
Louisville is still hanging around in the ACC race after another comeback effort, this time against Syracuse. The Cardinals dug out of an early first-quarter hole and won 34-26.
There’s still plenty of talent here, but the inconsistency remains impossible to ignore. Louisville won’t see a ranked opponent again until the regular-season finale.
North Carolina has quietly put together one of the more surprising stretches in the league. After going toe-to-toe with Notre Dame, the Tar Heels followed with back-to-back upsets over Pittsburgh and Duke. They still have Miami and Louisville left, though the closing schedule is relatively soft beyond that.
Duke had a real chance to steal one back after falling behind 17-0, rallying all the way to a lead with 4:39 remaining. It still wasn’t enough.
North Carolina answered with the winning score in the final two minutes, leaving the reigning ACC champions on a two-game skid. Another loss would essentially shut the door on any path back to Charlotte.
Virginia Tech got back on track with a 34-24 win over Georgia Tech. The Hokies controlled the first half, then lost some of that sharpness late, but they did enough to snap a two-game slide.
Clemson took care of Charleston Southern, though the offensive issues are still hanging around. The Tigers now have just one conference loss, and a win over Florida State on Halloween would keep them trending the right way.
Florida State showed plenty of fight in its rivalry game with Miami and even led in the fourth quarter. That still wasn’t enough to hold off the Hurricanes. After a bye week, the Seminoles return for a Halloween matchup with Clemson.
Boston College has become one of the more pleasant surprises in the conference. The Eagles were competitive against Virginia Tech and SMU before turning that steadiness into an upset over Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s season took a major hit with the injury to Mason Heintschel. Without him, the Panthers simply do not have enough to reach their ceiling. They should still reach a bowl, but any ACC title hopes are gone.
Virginia’s slide continues. The Cavaliers have lost two of their last three, with the lone win coming against a battered Syracuse team. Like Duke, they don’t look like a team headed back to the title game.
NC State used its open week to reset after a rocky first half. The Wolfpack won’t face another ranked opponent this season, so there’s still time to turn things around.
Georgia Tech couldn’t carry over the momentum from its upset of Duke. The Yellow Jackets need a response fast, because Boston College is next and that won’t be easy.
Cal’s season is drifting in the wrong direction. The Golden Bears have now dropped three of their last four, and Wake Forest left them looking lifeless.
Stanford beat Elon and sits halfway to bowl eligibility, though the road ahead is far from friendly with a three-game road trip coming in November.
At the bottom, Syracuse remains stuck there, with injuries and poor play leaving the Orange at the very end of the conference.