While the 3 other Power 4 conferences have clear front runners to win the league, the ACC has truly become the conference of chaos. This weekend, Georgia Tech had a chance to clinch a place in the ACC Championship, but lost to Pitt, opening up endless possibilities for the Conference Championship with just 1 week left to play.
While there's chaos atop the conference, the bottom half of the ACC continues to prove they may need to make some changes. Florida State announced Mike Norvell will be back next season even as the Seminoles continue to slide. Virginia Tech may have landed the best coach in the conference hiring James Franklin after a disappointing season.
Power Ranking the ACC after Georgia Tech's season altering loss
The Syracuse Orange got demolished by Notre Dame on Saturday in a truly embarrassing showing. The Orange were trailing 21-0 before the Notre Dame offense ever touched the ball, as the offense still can't do anything without Steve Angeli. Fran Brown has the excuse of losing his quarterback to fall back on, but he needs to do a much better job at building this roster next season.
Bill O'Brien's team spent the weekend on the bye after suffering a heartbreaking late loss to Georgia Tech. The Eagles have been a mess this season, and if Bill O'Brien is going to turn it around, he's going to need to attack the Transfer Portal, as this roster doesn't have nearly enough talent to compete in the ACC.
Bill Belichick's team had a chance to salvage some of the season with a win over Duke, but they instead allowed the Blue Devils to march down the field on a drive that included a fake field goal for the win. It was clear early in the season that the expectations on this team were too high, but Bill Belichick is going to need to do a much better job building a roster for next season.
Landing James Franklin was such a big win for Virginia Tech as a program that losing to Miami doesn't sting all that much. The Hokies defense wasn't able to slow Miami's offense allowing Carson Beck to throw for 320 yards while the only thing that worked on offense was throwing to Ayden Greene. This team will need a total overhaul in the offseason, but James Franklin will certainly be a big enough draw to flip the talent level.
Mike Norvell's program continues its fall from grace as the Seminoles dropped to 5-6 with their loss to NC State. The Seminoles allowed NC State to dominate the time of possession, especially in the second half, which made it impossible for Florida State to come back. This team continues to make mind-boggling mistakes, and 2 muffed punts paired with a head-scratching decision to kick a field goal just added to the issues this team has.
While this season hasn't been great for Stanford, the Cardinal picked up a massive win, beating Cal on Saturday Night. The Stanford defense got the team started with 2 fumble return touchdowns, which allowed the offense to keep trying to find a rhythm. Micah Ford carried the offense and looks like an exciting piece to build around as he rushed for 150 yards and a score.
After looking like a College Football Playoff contender with control of the ACC, the Louisville Cardinals have dropped their last 3 games. With Isaac Brown injured, this offense is lost as they managed just 6 points against SMU. Jeff Brohm went from one of the hottest coaches in the sport to having to answer for why this team collapsed down the stretch.
After losing to Stanford on Saturday Night in a game everyone expected Cal to win, the Justin Wilcox era may be in question. The loss ensures that for the 9th season, Wilcox won't finish above .500 in conference play. Cal fumbled three times on offense which gave Stanford all the momentum early, and kept them from getting back into this game.
Manny Diaz had his first chance to beat Bill Belichick, and he delivered in a back-and-forth clash. Trailing late, Manny Diaz called the perfect fake field goal, leading to a Blue Devils touchdown for the win. Duke has been solid at points in the season, but as a whole, Manny Diaz will need to add more pieces around this core, especially if Darian Mensah returns in 2026/
The NC State Wolfpack took a slight lead over Florida State into the second half and decided to take control of the game. A 9-minute drive in the 3rd quarter allowed the Wolfpack to take an 11-point lead, and it determined the game. Dave Doeren's team is now bowl-eligible, and it should certainly help with ensuring he's not on the hot seat.
Jake Dickert's team continues to make massive strides as they picked up a blowout win over Delaware to move to 8-3 on the season. In his first season on the job, Jake Dickert has proven that he can win at Wake Forest and the Demon Deacons should have an exciting offseason because of it as transfers should strongly consider this program.
Dabo Swinney's team was able to pick up an easy win to go bowling this weekend as they blew out the Furman Paladins. Cade Klubnik and Antonio Williams looked like the duo everyone expected to see dominate the ACC as they connected for a pair of scores. This season has been a disappointment, but Dabo Swinney should be encouraged by the way his team has fought to get bowl eligible.
Brent Key's team had a chance to clinch a berth in the ACC Championship with a win on Saturday Night, and they instead came out flat and never recovered. The Yellow Jackets fell in a 28-point hole they could never climb out of, and once they had a chance to get back into the game, a 100-yard Haynes King pick-six sealed their fate. Next week brings a game against Georgia, which would be great for their Playoff hopes, but they'll need a ton of help to make the ACC Championship Game.
The Pitt Panthers went on the road and sent a statement, jumping on Georgia Tech early, and holding on to win the game. Mason Heintschel has changed this entire team, and his 3 touchdowns without a turnover were massive in this game. Pat Narduzzi's team is in the hunt for the ACC Championship, but they'll have to send another statement beating Miami.
Rhett Lashlee's team remains in the hunt for the ACC Championship after picking up a key win over Louisville. Kevin Jennings Jr was stellar, accounting for 4 touchdowns while the Mustangs' defense held Louisville to just 6 points. SMU will regret some of their early losses if they miss the Playoff, as this team has found a great rhythm late in the season.
The Virginia Cavaliers spent the weekend on the bye ahead of their season finale against Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers just need to avoid being upset to remain in the race for the College Football Playoff and to clinch their place in the ACC Championship.
This weekend, the Miami Hurricanes handled business, holding off a frisky Virginia Tech team to move to 9-2 on the season. The Canes entered the week ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff, and winning the final two games gives them every chance to make the Playoff even if they don't make the ACC Championship Game.