Now up to 17 programs playing for the conference crown, the 2024 ACC Power Rankings are more heated than ever. Florida State ran the table last fall, going undefeated before being shafted from the College Football Playoff. But the 2024 season has already seen a shift in power.
Who now tops the table in the ACC?
2024 ACC Power Rankings
17) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
National Rank: 92
Last Week ACC Rank: 16 (-1)
Dave Clawson’s Demon Deacons have been a middle-of-the-road ACC competitor for most of his tenure, but they ranked last with a 1-7 conference record in 2023. It looked like the disappointment would continue in 2024 after they entered halftime up only 17-10 to North Carolina A&T, but it was all Wake Forest in the second half, pulling out to a 45-13 victory.
The ‘Deacs should’ve handled Virginia in Week 2, but the offense choked its last three possessions: punt, turnover on downs, fumble. Wake Forest racked up 544 yards but stalled on key drives when they had a chance to pull away.
While the Deacons weren’t expected to win against Ole Miss in Week 3, at least they kept it semi-close. They were expected to win against Louisiana, who they paid $800,000 to make the road trip to Winston-Salem, but the 41-38 final score favored the Cajuns. If Clawson doesn’t turn the season around, the temperature under his seat will reach scolding levels.
16) Stanford Cardinal
National Rank: 88
Last Week ACC Rank: 17 (+1)
Head coach Troy Taylor only won three games in Year 1, but there’s reason for optimism heading into Year 2. Elic Ayomanor is one of the best WRs in the game, and Ashton Daniels should show growth as the year progresses.
Stanford had one of the worst scoring defenses in the entire FBS (37.7 points per game) last season, and they allowed 34 to TCU in Week 1. A get-right game against Cal Poly in Week 2 could have been a turning point for the unit, as they proved their mettle against Syracuse in Week 4.
The Orange had no running game to speak of, and EDGEs Wilfredo Aybar and David Bailey made Kyle McCord’s life hell in the backfield. Despite several untimely penalties and interceptions, the Cardinal escaped with a 26-24 road victory, thanks to the right leg of kicker Emmet Kenney III.
Of course, a trip to Clemson ended with an L, but the Cardinal shot themselves in the foot with three red-zone turnovers and three dropped picks heading into the fourth.
15) Florida State Seminoles
National Rank: 77
Last Week ACC Rank: 15 (no change)
Any hopes of Florida State going undefeated in the regular season were dashed in Week 0. The massive transfer infusion wasn’t enough to make up for a defensive front seven that was manhandled down in and down out.
It wasn’t a fluke either, as the Seminoles allowed 270+ rushing yards to Boston College. However, it’s time to wonder just how many wins they’ll pick up in 2023 after losing to Memphis in Week 3, barely defeating Cal in Week 4, and falling to SMU in Week 5.
Mike Norvell’s squad is vastly underperforming in the trenches, and DJ Uiagalelei can’t capitalize on the talent around him, let alone elevate it.
14) Virginia Cavaliers
National Rank: 74
Last Week ACC Rank: 14 (no change)
Tony Elliott has won exactly three games in each of his two seasons as Virginia’s leading man, but he’s already matched that win total through four games in 2024.
The Cavaliers kicked the year off with a 34-13 win over a talented Richmond team and narrowly defeated Wake Forest 31-30 in Week 2. No one got going on the ground, and QB Anthony Colandrea threw two picks, but the Cavs scored 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.
The script was flipped in Week 3, as Maryland scored 10 unanswered to escape with the win. Colandrea threw another two picks and lost a fumble to boot, tying the team’s hands behind its back. He played a much cleaner game against Coastal Carolina in Week 4 — albeit less explosive — translating to a 27-10 halftime lead and the eventual victory.
13) North Carolina Tar Heels
National Rank: 64
Last Week ACC Rank: 13 (no change)
Despite Drake Maye’s obvious talent, the Tar Heels underperformed in his tenure, going 17-10 record with two bowl losses. Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson took the reigns, but he suffered a broken leg in Week 1 and is out for the season, thrusting sophomore Conner Harrell into the starting lineup.
He secured the win over Minnesota with a 32-yard completion to set up the game-winning field goal and played well enough to put up 38 points on Charlotte. RB Omarion Hampton and TE Bryson Nesbit suffered injuries in the contest, but both returned in a Week 3 win over North Carolina Central.
However, the game was too close for comfort, and after a scoreless first quarter, Harrell was pulled in favor of Jacolby Criswell, pointing to further QB concerns. Criswell flashed at times against James Madison, but the Dukes blitzed the Tar Heels in every phase, scoring 39 points midway through the second quarter.
The defense made it a point to show up in Week 5, holding Duke to zero points in the first half. Yet, Criswell’s inconsistencies were once again apparent, and the defense faltered in the second half, allowing Duke to pull off a 21-20 victory.
12) California Golden Bears
National Rank: 57
Last Week ACC Rank: 12 (no change)
Traveling across the country for most away games is certainly a factor, but Cal could make some noise in its first year in the ACC. RB Jaydn Ott is a monster on the ground, and both QBs (North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers and Fernando Mendoza) are capable of leading the team to wins.
However, the Bears’ 31-13 Week 1 win over UC Davis easily could’ve gone the other way. The Aggies led in total yards (301 to 283), first downs (20 to 14), and time of possession (30:19 to 29:41), but three turnovers and going 0 for 4 on fourth downs cut their upset attempt at the knees.
Cal crossed their country for their Week 2 date with Auburn and came out victorious. The offense wasn’t spectacular, and the team committed 11 penalties. Yet, the defense suffocated the Tigers’ offense and did the same against San Diego State for their third straight win.
The defense once again held its own against Florida State, but the offense was allergic to scoring, generating 410 total yards but putting up just nine points against FSU’s 14.
11) Pittsburgh Panthers
National Rank: 55
Last Week ACC Rank: 11 (no change)
Pittsburgh won the ACC title in 2021 and then went 9-4 in 2022. However, the Panthers face-planted to a 3-9 record in 2023, and the pressure is on HC Pat Narduzzi to get the team back on track.
QB Eli Holstein and RB Desmond Reid showed promise in Week 1 against Kent State and came right back against Cincinnati. It took a 22-0 run in the second half to pull off the victory, but the Panthers showed the resilience they didn’t have last year.
The same note rang true in Weeks 3 and 4, as Pitt outlasted West Virginia 38-34 before roasting Youngstown State. Holstein and the defense are on fire, and in a wide-open ACC, the Panthers aren’t as far as returning to their 2022 form as previously thought.
10) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
National Rank: 52
Last Week ACC Rank: 9 (-1)
The Yellow Jackets entered their Week 0 contest with Florida State as 10.5-point underdogs. But they left Dublin, Ireland, with an impressive 24-21 victory over their 10th-ranked conference rival.
The Yellow Jackets came right back and thwarted Georgia State 35-12, having their way with their in-state opponent. However, their ascent up the 2024 College Football Power Rankings stopped there, as they couldn’t stave off Syracuse. The offense played well, but the Orange held a 36:54 to 23:06 time-of-possession advantage.
Unsurprisingly, the Yellow Jackets were able to pick up their third win of the season against a winless VMI in Week 3. But they ran into an undefeated Louisville squad in Week 4, and kicker Aidan Birr missed two field goals in a 31-19 loss. Yet, Birr’s misses didn’t kill Georgia Tech’s comeback odds — going 4 of 15 on third down did.
9) Virginia Tech Hokies
National Rank: 46
Last Week ACC Rank: 8 (-1)
Virginia Tech turned up the heat down the stretch last season, winning five of their last seven games to finish with a 7-6 record. But the Hokies lost their momentum over the offseason, falling to Vanderbilt 34-27 in overtime in Week 1. The rushing attack, led by QB Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten, could not find its footing.
They bounced back with wins against Marshall and Old Dominion before finishing their non-conference schedule with a home loss to Rutgers last week. Against Miami and his cousin, QB Cam Ward, Drones took the contest to the distance, but the Hokies couldn’t hang on to their 27-17 lead midway through the third quarter.
Outside of Week 1, Drones hasn’t been able to surpass 190 yards passing in any game, putting pressure on the ground game to carry the offense and the defense to bend but not break.
8) Syracuse Orange
National Rank: 41
Last Week ACC Rank: 7 (-1)
Ohio State decided to move on from Kyle McCord; that doesn’t mean he is a bad quarterback. He isn’t the athlete Garrett Shrader was, but Shrader wasn’t the passer McCord is. Paired with WR Oronde Gadsden II and OC Jeff Nixon, who helped Matt Rhule turn Baylor from 1-11 to 11-3 in three years, McCord is primed to prove the doubters wrong this season.
He threw 354 yards and four TDs in his Orange debut, making up for a ground game that couldn’t impose its will on Ohio in Week 1. McCord then threw another 381 yards and four TDs on a stout Georgia Tech defense that started Florida State’s downfall.
Unfortunately, Stanford had enough tape to stymie Syracuse’s offense. Once again, the ground game did nothing, with the RBs combining for 34 yards on 12 carries. McCord threw two costly INTs, including a 74-yard pick-six, and was unable to carry the unit.
Holy Cross gave them a bit of a scare in Week 5, but the Orange closed out the victory. Still, if they can’t establish a ground game, the win column could remain stagnant in ACC play.
7) SMU Mustangs
National Rank: 40
Last Week ACC Rank: 10 (+3)
Rhett Lashlee’s two-QB system worked last year because Preston Stone was playing like a Heisman contender. However, Stone has looked like a deer in headlights in his return from a season-ending injury, especially with the offensive line acting like a sieve up front.
Jennings moved the chains a few times and set Collin Rogers up for five field goals against BYU, but he hasn’t looked like the answer under center either.
It didn’t matter in Week 4, as the Mustangs rode three non-offensive TDs to set a record for the most points scored in the first half of the Iron Skillet rivalry game with TCU, taking a commanding 41-21.
The ‘Stangs then galloped over FSU in Week 5, picking DJ Uiagalelei off three times en route to a 42-16 win. How they perform against Louisville in Week 6 will determine whether SMU’s resurgence is true or false.
6) NC State Wolfpack
National Rank: 35
Last Week ACC Rank: 5 (-1)
The quarterback room hasn’t exactly been the modicum of consistency for the Wolfpack, but Dave Doeren hoped he rectified the issue by bringing in Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall.
It took until the fourth quarter for the offense to begin humming against Western Carolina, and it mostly had to do so on the backs of RB Jordan Waters and WR KC Concepcion.
We chalked McCall’s play up to rust in Week 1, but Tennessee stole his lunch money in Week 2 and highlighted the wide gap between the two programs. However, he suffered an undisclosed injury against Louisiana Tech, forcing true freshman CJ Bailey into the lineup. The lights weren’t too bright, as Bailey led the Wolfpack to a 30-20 victory.
Yet, the intensity reached a tipping point against Clemson, as the Tigers roared out to a 59-35 victory — 21 of the Wolfpack’s points came in garbage time. A Week 5 win over Northern Illinois will keep the train on the tracks, but ACC play is here, and Doeren’s squad is anything but stable, especially along the offensive line.
5) Duke Blue Devils
National Rank: 34
Last Week ACC Rank: 6 (+1)
Although Mike Elko was Duke’s head coach for only two seasons, the team had its most successful back-to-back campaigns since 2014-2015. Manny Diaz has kept the momentum going to open the 2024 season, as the Blue Devils are 5-0.
It took double overtime to defeat Northwestern on the road, as the offense couldn’t seem to produce on the ground. After averaging 2.2 yards per carry vs. Elon, the unit tapped out at 3.1 against the Wildcats.
Despite an utter lack of a rushing attack, the Blue Devils picked up their fourth win against Middle Tennessee State. Thanks to two fumbles and a long TD pass, Duke entered the second quarter up 28-10 and never relinquished the lead.
Duke couldn’t do anything offensively in the first half against North Carolina, posting zero points, one third-down conversion on 10 attempts, and 2.6 yards per play. But with RB Star Thomas leading the way (30-166-1 rushing line, 2-45-1 receiving), the Blue Devils charged all the way back to a 21-20 victory to remain undefeated.
4) Boston College Eagles
National Rank: 29
Last Week ACC Rank: 4 (no change)
Boston College seemed to be trending up after its first bowl win since 2016, but a bit of a reset is in order with HC Jeff Hafley leaving for the Green Bay Packers’ DC job and Bill O’Brien taking his first collegiate HC position since his time at Penn State.
With QB Thomas Castellanos and RBs Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward in the backfield, scoring points shouldn’t be difficult, but not allowing them could be.
A standalone Labor Day win over FSU highlighted the Eagles’ revamped roster and new leadership, and they kept the good times going with pure domination over Duquesne in Week 2. Despite a highlight-reel TD, Castellanos and Co. couldn’t do much against Missouri’s new-look defense, failing to score in the second half.
Michigan State also gave them fits in Week 4, but the Eagles outscored the Spartans 17-6 to complete the home defense and roll to 3-1 on the year. Even with Castellanos out with an injury against Western Kentucky in Week 5, BC was able to stay in the win column, narrowly defeating the Hilltoppers 21-20.
3) Louisville Cardinals
National Rank: 27
Last Week ACC Rank: 2 (-1)
The Cardinals won 10 games and made the ACC Championship Game in Jeff Brohm’s first season at the helm, and similar success appears to be on the horizon in Year 2. Jack Plummer is replaced by another longtime collegiate passer in Tyler Shough, and the offense hasn’t skipped a beat.
There isn’t much to take away from Louisville’s drubbing of a depleted Austin Peay squad in Week 1, but it did set the tone for their 49-14 embarrassment of Jacksonville State and 31-19 home defense against Georgia Tech.
The offense had its moments, particularly through the air, but the defense was the real star of the show, allowing just 2.6 yards per rush and four third-down conversions on 15 attempts.
Despite Notre Dame doing their best to hand the game to the Cardinals, they wouldn’t take it, ultimately falling to a 31-17 deficit in the fourth. Turnovers (two fumbles and one pick) and a lack of explosiveness through the air (5.9 yards per pass) were the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals, killing their comeback effort.
2) Clemson Tigers
National Rank: 14
Last Week ACC Rank: 3 (+1)
The Tigers added zero players from the transfer portal this offseason after posting their worst record since 2011 (9-4), and their 34-3 loss at Georgia’s hands pointed to a Dabo Swinney problem.
Klubnik and Co. did wash some of the taste of the Week 1 loss out of their mouths with a dominant performance against App State in Week 2, which began with 21 points in the game’s first eight minutes.
Week 4’s win over NC State was even more impressive, with Klubnik completing 7 of 8 passes for 77 yards and two TDs, plus a 55-yard rushing score, on the game’s first three possessions.
The Stanford game began in a similar fashion before the Cardinal were able to turn off the hose. Regardless, the Tigers are now 3-1 and 2-0 in conference play, with road trips to FSU and Wake Forest next up.
1) Miami Hurricanes
National Rank: 6
Last Week ACC Rank: 1 (no change)
After going 12-13 in his first two years, Mario Cristobal needed results, and he tapped into the transfer portal to get them. Washington State’s Cameron Ward and Oregon State’s Damien Martinez came together to form a lethal backfield duo. Ward, in particular, is playing at an elite level and looking comfortable doing so.
The Hurricanes made quick work of in-state foes Florida and Florida A&M in Weeks 1 and 2 and torched Ball State in Week 3. USF kept the game semi-tight in the first half, but once Miami got going, there was no stopping them.
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Virginia Tech offered a much stiffer challenge in Week 5, testing the ‘Canes for the first time this season. But even after throwing two picks and losing a fumble, Ward led three consecutive TD drives to complete the comeback, winning 38-34 — although it took an overturned last-second Hail Mary by the Hokies to secure it.
We needed to say how the senior QB played under pressure, and he delivered when it mattered most, boosting Miami’s odds on the path to the playoffs.
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