The college football regular season is in the books as rivalry weekend set the ACC Championship Game. The biggest story of the weekend was the race for a bid in the ACC Championship game as 6 teams entered the week with hopes, and as has been the case the entire season, chaos unfolded with SMU losing allowing 7-5 Duke a chance to win the league.
Power Ranking the ACC following SMU's collapse
It was an ugly end to the season for Fran Brown's team as they lost to the only program that may have been worse than them this season. The offense once again struggled mightily as Joseph Filardi struggled to get anything going in the passing attack, and the rushing attack couldn't make up for it. The defense allowed Boston College to put up 34 points which is a bad look for a defensive-minded head coach in Brown. This offseason is going to be crucial for Fran Brown as he has to build a more complete roster to compete in the ACC next season.
Bill O'Brien's team finally got off the mat in ACC Play, picking up its first win of the season over Syracuse. The Eagles gashed Syracuse on the ground, scoring 4 touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Boston College had a miserable season, but ending the year on a high note should allow O'Brien to attack the Transfer Portal to try and build a better roster.
Bill Belichick's first season in Chapel Hill ended with the Tar Heels getting blown out 42-19 in the final game of the season. North Carolina is going to need to make a ton of changes this offseason, as Belichick's first roster and coaching staff weren't nearly good enough to compete. The Tar Heels invested a ton into hiring Belichick, and they may need to double down to buy him a roster that makes it easier to win.
Jake Dickert's team has been one of the best stories in the ACC, but it was a disappointment to see that they couldn't beat Duke. The Demon Deacons turned the ball over a staggering 4 times making it impossible for them to ever comeback in the second half. Year 1 for Jake Dickert and Wake Forest as a whole was a success, and now it's about building the roster so they can compete for the ACC Championship next season.
Despite being just 7-5 on the season, Manny Diaz has Duke playing for the ACC Championship, and possibly a place in the College Football Playoff. Darian Mensah led Duke to a win over Wake Forest, passing for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for a 3rd. This team has played inconsistent all year, but if they can knock off Virginia, they'll have a chance to make the Playoff despite all of their bad losses.
While Dave Doeren and NC State didn't have the best season, blowing out Bill Belichick and your In-State rival is always great for building momentum heading into 2026. CJ Bailey was incredible going 21-30 for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for a team high 65-yards. Short yardage QB Will Wilson scored 4 touchdowns helping this team end Bill Belichick's first season in college football in embarrassing fashion.
After watching their hopes of winning the ACC fall apart last weekend, Georgia Tech watched their at-large hopes die at the hands of their In-State rival. The Yellow Jackets' defense actually delivered holding Georgia to just 16 points as Gunner Stockton struggled. The offense, however, couldn't compete in the trenches, picking up just 3.0 yards per carry, while Haynes King couldn't carry this offense passing. The Yellow Jackets still put together a strong season, but Brent Key's team will have a tough task replacing King and going on a run next season.
After coming out red hot to beat Georgia Tech last weekend, the Pitt Panthers didn't show up against Miami. Mason Heintschel was under pressure the entire game, and the Panthers' offense couldn't ever get into a rhythm. The defense had no answers for all of the weapons Miami had, getting torched for 38 points. Pitt has found the promising young quarterback, and the task now will be surrounding him with enough to succeed.
Rhett Lashlee's team blew a golden opportunity on Saturday Night, losing to a Cal team that fired it's coach the week prior with a trip to the ACC Championship on the line. The Mustangs defense couldn't stop Cal the entire game putting the team in a 24-7 hole, and even when the team stormed back to take the lead they allowed Cal to drive 75 yards for the win in under two minutes.
It's been a disappointing season for Dabo Swinney's program, but they can beat any team on any given day. The Tigers won the Palmetto Bowl on Saturday by dominating the second half to hold off the Gamecocks. This veteran team is going to have a ton of turnover next season, but the way Swinney's group rallied at the end of the season has to ease some nerves about his future leading the program.
The Miami Hurricanes needed to win with some style points to help try and convince the Playoff committee that they're good enough to make the Playoff. The Canes blew out a Top 25 Pitt team, outscoring the Panthers 38-7 in the win. The fate of the Hurricanes now sits in the hands of the committee as they'll hope that they're finally ranked high enough to make the field.