Wake Forest’s surge got another jolt after its blowout win over Stanford, and the numbers now show a team climbing fast in the national conversation. The Demon Deacons were the second-highest vote-getter outside the AP Top 25, and the analytics reflected that jump.
Wake’s FPI moved to 30 from 48, while its Game Control Rank climbed to 30 from 39. Strength of Record stayed at 17, Strength of Schedule rose to 29 from 13, and Remaining Strength of Schedule checked in at 69, just ahead of last week’s 68.
That dominant performance clearly helped Wake in the predictive models, and the path ahead remains manageable for now. The biggest game still on the calendar may be the November road trip to SMU, a matchup that could carry major ACC Championship implications, though that conversation is still a long way off.
Duke, meanwhile, sat just behind Wake among teams outside the poll, drawing the fourth-most votes once again. The Blue Devils were idle, and that showed up in the numbers: FPI at 37, Strength of Record at 21, Strength of Schedule at 114, Remaining Strength of Schedule at 46, and Game Control Rank at 32.
The biggest contrast with Wake is the schedule. Duke has played a much softer slate so far, and while the road gets tougher from here, the Blue Devils have still been efficient in piling up wins and remain unbeaten.
Kentucky also remains in the mix after a road win at South Carolina, even though the Wildcats dropped out of the AP rankings and became the top vote-getter not included in the poll. Their numbers are strong across the board: FPI at 34, Strength of Record at 5, Strength of Schedule at 8, Remaining Strength of Schedule at 15, and Game Control Rank at 15.
That win in Columbia pushed Kentucky’s SOR all the way to No. 5, and the Wildcats are now 4-1 with their lone loss coming against No. 6 Alabama.
The fall out of the rankings after a road win stood out, especially with Kentucky sitting so high in the metrics, though the profile is still being helped by the road win over Texas A&M, which is somehow still No. 14 in FPI.
Pitt finally cracked the AP Poll after opening 5-0 and grabbing a huge road win at Virginia Tech. The Panthers’ analytics line up well with the results so far, with a solid FPI, SOR, and Game Control mark: FPI at 23, Strength of Record at 9, Strength of Schedule at 101, Remaining Strength of Schedule at 48, and Game Control Rank at 19.
The momentum is real, but there’s a major setback ahead. Star quarterback Mason Heintschel is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, a blow that lands hard on Pitt’s offense just as the Panthers were building their best run of the year.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Just Sent A Strong Message Before NC State
Wake Forests latest surge showed up where it mattered most, in the weekly ACC Football Power Rankings, after the Demon Deacons rolled past Stanford and stayed put at No. 2. The rankings are compiled each week by an editorial staff voting on recent performance, and the Deacs made a clear impression with one of the conferences most lopsided wins of the season.
Miami remains the unanimous No. 1, but Wake Forest has firmly separated itself from the rest of the league for now. With NC State next on the schedule, the Deacons have a chance to turn that strong showing into something even more meaningful, and their place near the top of the ACC gives that matchup a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Has New Life On Offense Before A Rivalry Test
NC State heads into its rivalry date with Wake Forest carrying a lot more confidence on offense than it did earlier in the season. Quarterback CJ Bailey has looked increasingly composed, Will Wilson has given the Wolfpack another weapon to lean on, and Harvey Dyson III has helped the defense keep things moving in the right direction as the program has steadied itself after an uneven start.
The improvement is real enough to make this a tougher test for Wake Forest than it might have seemed a few weeks ago, especially with NC State producing with more consistency and balance. Even so, the Wolfpack know the challenge in front of them is not just about keeping up offensively, because their chances against Wake Forest will also depend on whether they can tighten up the basics on defense and play with cleaner execution. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces A Pressure Test After Its Early Season Collapse
Wake Forests next ACC test comes with a familiar kind of intrigue, the sort that tends to follow NC State when expectations have already started to wobble. The matchup has plenty of attention around it because the Wolfpack are trying to steady themselves after an uneven opening stretch, and this one arrives as part of a wider weekend slate built around bold predictions and possible surprises across the country.
For Wake Forest, it is the kind of game that can reveal a lot about where the Deacons really stand in the league pecking order. NC State brings the pressure of needing a response, while Wake Forest gets a chance to poke at that urgency and make the contest uncomfortable. The preview leaves the result hanging, but the setup suggests this is exactly the kind of meeting where one teams early-season problems could become the others opportunity. [Read more 🡒]