Back-to-back weeks of upset mania lead have prepared the nation for a frightful Saturday of college football, Halloween edition! In the ACC, a clear pecking order has developed: there are 3 teams clearly in the driver’s seat for a conference championship (their fans get the full-size candy bars); there are another 6 teams with enough talent to dish out an upset or two, just waiting for the conference leaders to slip (those fans get the name-brand fun size bars); and the remaining teams are simply trying to trick their fans into believing this season isn’t a lost cause (dental floss and celery for the rest of you). DALE!!!
1. Miami Hurricanes (7-0, 5-0)
Ho hum, another year and another Pittsburgh blowout highlighted by a record-breaking Malachi Toney performance. Toney and Mensah now sit right behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith in the Heisman odds, but it remains to be seen if Smith’s production can continue after Julian Sayin’s injury. Miami’s Heisman candidates get a network, prime-time showcase this Saturday night against Bill Belichick. Believe it or not, North Carolina has a five-game winning streak against Miami dating back to 2019. A Halloween night victory would exorcise yet another demon of mediocrity that Miami has been carrying.
- Last Week:52-23 win vs. Pittsburgh
- This Week: at North Carolina, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:30pm ET (ABC)
2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1, 4-1)
It’s week 9 and the AP voters finally have Wake Forest ranked in the Top 15 within reach of an at-large CFP bid. The Demon Deacons also control their destiny to appear in the ACC Championship Game. All ACC eyes will be on November 14th when Wake Forest travels to Dallas to play SMU in a likely play-in game for the right to challenge Miami in Charlotte. The next step towards a potentially historic season for Wake Forest is Virginia this Saturday afternoon.
- Last Week: bye week
- This Week: vs. Virginia, Sat. Oct. 31st at 3:45pm ET (ESPN2)
3. SMU Mustangs (6-1, 4-1)
SMU went absolutely bonkers last week against a not completely lifeless Cal team. This was one of those games that was close in the first half – Cal lead SMU 20-17 at the end of the first half – but then SMU scored six straight touchdowns in the second half. SMU had not previously scored more than 31 against a P4 team this season (their week three 41-31 loss to Louisville). If SMU can consistently look like the second half of this game, then the Mustangs are shoe-in for Charlotte (and have a real shot to upset Notre Dame). But if SMU keeps looking like the team that struggled against Missouri State and Boston College, then their playoff bubble will surely pop come November.
- Last Week: 59-20 win vs. California
- This Week: at Syracuse, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (ESPN2)
4. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2, 3-2)
Two, one-score losses against Pitt and California are keeping James Franklin’s Hokies team from having playoff dreams. Had Virginia Tech been sitting at just one conference loss, then its matchup in two weeks against SMU would have seismic implications for the ACC Championship Game. Instead, the Hokies are log-jammed with six other two-loss teams, and face long odds to stay there considering that Miami and SMU remain on the schedule. But Hokies fans should still feel good about the progress being made. Plus, it’s not every year you get to beat Clemson at Clemson.
- Last Week: 20-16 win at Clemson
- This Week: bye week
5. Duke Blue Devils (5-2, 2-2)
Beating Illinois at Illinois aint so easy, is it Oregon!?!? But the Dukies did it. The Dukies were also beginning to look a bit like fraudsters after back-to-back one possession losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina, but Manny Diaz righted the ship last week by prevailing over Virginia in a 2025 ACC Championship Game rematch. Duke’s offense is a mess without Mensah and his top-two WRs (Duke has failed to score more than 25 points since they played William & Mary). But Duke’s defense is top notch and should keep the Blue Devils in most every game. Most every game. Miami and Wake Forest are still on the schedule.
- Last Week: 19-16 win at Virginia
- This Week: vs. Boston College, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (CW)
6. Louisville Cardinals (4-3, 3-2)
2026 has been quite the roller coaster for the Cardinals. A near upset of 2025 national semifinalist Ole Miss and a two-score victory over SMU was then followed by two straight conference losses, including to now coach-less NC State, but then the Cardinals rebounded with two straight victories highlighted by a 24 point victory over FSU. The path to finishing with two conference losses is manageable – Stanford, GT, UNC, and Pitt – so there’s some chance Louisville could sneak into Charlotte with a head-to-head victory over SMU.
- Last Week: bye week
- This Week: vs. Stanford, Sat. Oct. 31st at 3:15pm ET (ACCN)
7. Boston College Eagles (4-3, 2-2)
Believe it or not, Boston College is putting together a respectable season. They have no grotesquely bad losses – Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, and SMU are all respectable teams – and the Eagles are on a two-game winning streak in ACC play. Quite the bounce back from last year’s two-win season. Last week, the Eagles had not one but two 150+ yard rushers (QB Mason McKenzie and RB Bo MacCormack). Anything remotely close to that performance against Duke’s defense this week should really open some eyes to Boston College’s turnaround.
- Last Week: 49-27 win at Georgia Tech
- This Week: at Duke, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (CW)
8. Clemson Tigers (4-3, 2-2)
Clemson is on a two-game losing streak against P4 competition after last week’s close loss to Virginia Tech. This week’s “lawsuit” matchup against Florida State is quite poetic. These are the two programs that invested millions in attorneys fees to change the ACC media rights structure (Miami thanks you both) only for these two teams to be relegated this week to the ACC Network while Miami plays a 4-3 North Carolina team on ABC.
- Last Week: 16-20 loss vs. Virginia Tech
- This Week: at Florida State, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:00pm ET (ACCN)
9. North Carolina Tarheels (4-3, 2-2)
North Carolina sits just below Clemson by virtue of Clemson’s head-to-head victory earlier in the season. Had North Carolina not lost to Syracuse last week, the Tarheels would had been tied for second in the ACC standings with just one conference loss. Belichick has to avoid those sorts of losses if he truly hopes to bring North Carolina back to respectability in time for the next round of conference realignment. Beating Miami this weekend would be a massive step towards that goal.
- Last Week: 30-31 loss vs. Syracuse
- This Week: vs. Miami, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:30pm ET (ABC)
10. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-3, 2-3)
Losing QB Mason Heinstchel to injury will go down as the greatest “what if” injury in the ACC this season. The Panthers losing streak hit 3 games last week in Miami Gardens and it feels like forever ago that the Panthers were 5-0 and ranked. If Pittsburgh cannot beat basement dwelling Georgia Tech this weekend, it may be difficult to find that 6th win for bowl eligibility.
- Last Week: 23-53 loss at Miami
- This Week: vs. Georgia Tech, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:30pm ET (ESPN2)
11. Florida State Seminoles (3-4, 1-3)
Florida State is now winless against ranked or previously ranked teams (SMU, Alabama, Louisville, Miami) but undefeated against the rest, including a comfortable victory over a decent Virginia team. Getting back to bowl eligibility could be a real challenge if FSU cannot prevail against Clemson this Saturday. Would a bowl game be enough progress to save Mike Norvell for another season? Miami fans certainly hope so!
- Last Week: bye week
- This Week: vs. Clemson, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:00pm ET (ACCN)
12. Virginia Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3)
The Cavaliers have been riding the struggle bus the past few weeks. A bit like FSU, Virginia has largely beat the teams it should but cannot find a victory against a team in the top half of conference. The trend continued last week by allowing Duke to get its season back on track. Wake Forest will be a very tough challenge for Virginia this weekend, but an upset would go a long way to soothing what has otherwise been a disappointing season.
- Last Week: 16-19 loss vs. Duke
- This Week: at Wake Forest, Sat. Oct. 31st at 3:45pm ET (ESPN2)
13. Stanford Cardinals (4-4, 2-3)
If you squint you can find signs of life at Stanford. Yes, the Cardinals have had the doors blown off them by every decent team they’ve faced, but on the positive side Stanford has at least separated itself from the bottom feeders. Stanford has also done well leveraging its home field by going 4-1 in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the Cardinals finish the season with three games against good teams (Louisville, VT, and SMU) and just one home game.
- Last Week: 31-28 win vs. NC State
- This Week: at Louisville, Sat. Oct. 31st at 3:15pm ET (ACCN)
14. Syracuse Orange (3-4, 1-4)
Fifth time’s a charm as Syracuse finally broke through last weekend against North Carolina for their first conference victory – in Chapel Hill, no less. Look, it’s not like Syracuse is getting blown out left and right. Only one of the Orange’s losses was by two possessions (27-13 at Pitt). But this team is still a fraction of its 10 win team from two seasons ago.
- Last Week: 31-30 win at North Carolina
- This Week: vs. SMU, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (ESPN2)
15. California Golden Bears (3-5, 2-3)
Cal may have one more conference win than Syracuse, and Cal may have a head-to-head victory over Syracuse, but Cal has lost four of its last five games including the last two in blowout fashion whereas Syracuse isn’t getting blown out and won last weekend. And yet bowl eligibility isn’t entirely out of the question for Cal considering that they close with NC State, Virginia, Stanford, and Pitt.
- Last Week: 20-59 loss at SMU
- This Week: at NC State, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (ACCN)
16. NC State Wolfpack (3-4, 1-3)
For years NC State was a reliable 8-9 win team consistently appearing in mid-tier bowl games and occasionally upsetting national title competitors. But enough was enough for the NC State brass who declared good but not great would do no more, especially when good but not great is capable of losing to Stanford. Thank you Dave Doeren for your thirteen years of service.
- Last Week: 28-31 loss at Stanford
- This Week: vs. California, Sat. Oct. 31st at 12:00pm ET (ACCN)
17. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-3)
It’s a good thing that Brent Key built up a lot of goodwill the past few seasons, because this season stinks. An upset over Duke barely masks the stench from losses to Colorado, Boston College, and Stanford. The Yellow Jackets are the only ACC team that have yet to win a third game, and they might not since they close the season against Pitt, Louisville, Clemson, Wake Forest, and Georgia.
- Last Week: 27-49 loss vs. Boston College
- This Week: at Pittsburgh, Sat. Oct. 31st at 7:30pm (ESPN2)