Georgia Tech stays atop the Week 9 ACC Power Rankings after flexing at home — No. 7 GT throttled Syracuse 41-16 behind Haynes King’s five total touchdowns. Right behind, Virginia keeps tightening the race with a third overtime win of the season, 17-16 at North Carolina on J’Mari Taylor’s 1-yard plunge. Louisville holds serve after outlasting Boston College 38-24 — and still owns the head-to-head over Miami. The Hurricanes answered loudly with a 42-7 demolition of Stanford that flipped a 7-7 halftime into a 35-0 second-half avalanche.
1. Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0 ACC)
Georgia Tech throttled Syracuse 41-16 to stay perfect and hit 8-0 for the first time since 1966. Haynes King logged 304 total yards and the defense forced field goals, reinforcing Tech’s No. 1 spot with the ACC’s best record and multiple good wins, including Duke last week.
2. Virginia (7-1, 4-0)
UVA now has three OT wins and does not have a loss in the ACC. They just barely escaped UNC 17-16 in Chapel Hill. J’Mari Taylor’s 1-yard TD in OT and a goal-line stop preserved an unbeaten ACC mark and the six-game win streak. It hasn’t been pretty for Virginia but the resume is rock solid.
3. Louisville (6-1, 3-1)
The Cards followed the road upset of then-No. 2 Miami with a 38-24 win over Boston College, powered by Isaac Brown’s 205 rushing yards. The head-to-head over Miami keeps Louisville above the Hurricanes.
4. Miami (6-1, 2-1)
A thorough 42-7 response against Stanford — Mark Fletcher Jr. went for 106 yards and 3 TDs — steadied the ship one week after the Louisville loss. The Canes sit a tier below Tech/UVA based on ACC record, but their ceiling remains higher than anyone’s in the ACC.
5. Pittsburgh (6-2, 4-1)
Pitt now has four straight wins and are climbing up the rankings. Mason Heintschel threw for 423 yards, 3 TDs in a 53-34 blitz of NC State, moving Pitt to 4-1 in the ACC. The 4-1 mark is the best ACC record of any one-loss team. A November date at Georgia Tech could be huge.
6. Wake Forest (5-2, 2-2)
Wake Forest is one of the biggest risers in the power rankings this week. Connor Calvert’s 50-yard walk-off beat previously perfect-in-ACC-play SMU 13-12, giving Wake a third straight victory. The Demon Deacons have losses to NC State and Georgia Tech.
7. SMU (5-3, 3-1)
This week, SMU suffered their first regular-season ACC loss since joining the conference — and it came by inches. But, the Mustangs still own a top-five efficiency defense and sit 3-1 in conference so they come in at No. 7. Their bounce-back potential is still high, but the loss is definitely a setback.
8. Duke (4-3, 3-1)
The Blue Devils were on a bye, but last week’s 27-18 loss to Georgia Tech sets the current ceiling for them. Darian Mensah is keeping the floor high and November dates with Clemson and others will define their season.
9. Virginia Tech (3-5, 2-2)
Virginia Tech got a gritty 42-34 (2OT) win over Cal in Week 9. Kyron Drones made the winning throw and punched in the mandatory two-point try — and the Hokies jump the Bears on head-to-head.
10. California (5-3, 2-2)
Cal had chances late in Blacksburg before stalling in double OT; at 2–2 in the ACC, the Bears still belong in the top 10, but the potential for them looks to be low.
11. Clemson (3-4, 2-3)
Clemson was off this week, and after a step forward in early October (wins at UNC, at BC), they gave way to a setback vs. SMU. The Tigers have a home reset with Duke next and that could be a game where they turn things around.
12. Stanford (3-5, 2-3)
Stanford was competitive for a half in Miami before the dam broke. The Card’s two ACC wins and improved defense under Frank Reich are real, but the gap between them and the top of the ACC is massive.
13. NC State (4-4, 1-3)
NC State has nice wins over Wake Forest and Virginia (the win over UVA was not a conference game), but that’s really all they have. Now, with losses to Duke, Notre Dame, Pitt and Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack find themselves near the bottom of the list.
14. Syracuse (3-5, 1-4)
Since their win over Clemson, Syracuse has lossed four straight ACC games. The season has flipped on its head since the Steve Angeli injury and the matchup against GT went just about how you would have expected it to go.
15. North Carolina (2-5, 0-3)
That was brutal way to lose for UNC. A gutsy two-point call in OT came up an inch short in a 17-16 loss to No. 16 Virginia. The Tar Heels have pushed two straight ACC opponents deep into the fourth — they just need a finish.
16. Florida State (3-4, 0-4)
FSU was on a bye this week but the numbers are the numbers: 0-4 in the ACC and a four-game skid. The schedule offers opportunities, yet the Seminoles need a first conference win to move up the list.
17. Boston College (1-7, 0-5)
BC had some competitive spurts, but No. 19 Louisville ran away 38-24 and BC stays winless in conference.
