ACC Week 2 Power Rankings: How far did Florida State climb after scoring a big win?

The first full week of ACC football is in the books in 2025. It wasn’t the best week for the conference, which went 1-3 against the SEC. However, a couple of teams pulled off big non-conference wins. Naturally, it’s those teams near the top of the power rankings. Let’s see how things stand heading into the second week of the season.

1. Clemson (last week: 1)

The Tigers didn’t get the result they would have liked in their season opener, losing to LSU with the home crowd behind them. However, it’s not enough to knock them from the top spot in the ACC power rankings. Clemson is still the team to beat in the ACC, especially after giving up just 17 points against a team with a potential first-round pick at quarterback.

2. Miami (last week: 2)

It’s awfully tempting to put Miami ahead of Clemson after the Hurricanes beat Notre Dame. Carson Beck looked solid against a quality opponent, while the Miami defensive line took over late in the game. But the Hurricanes also came close to letting a 21-7 lead slip through their fingers, so it’s tough to suddenly view them as the team to beat in the ACC over Clemson, given the recent track record of both programs.

3. Florida State (last week: 10)

Well, it looks like the Seminoles are back. The combination of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and quarterback Tommy Castellanos made a great first impression in a 31-17 win over Alabama. The FSU defense wasn’t bad either in that game. If the Seminoles can play like that every week, they’ll be a contender in the ACC, although it’ll be several weeks until they are challenged again.

4. Georgia Tech (last week: 3)

The scoreline might not be impressive (although the Yellow Jackets did cover the spread), but this was a huge win for Georgia Tech. They beat a solid Colorado team on the road, overcoming the altitude in Boulder that almost got the better of the Yellow Jackets. That being said, they needed 156 yards and three touchdowns rushing from quarterback Haynes King to make it happen. King is a stud, but one has to wonder if Georgia Tech might be relying on him too much.

5. SMU (last week: 4)

Despite a comfortable 42-13 win over East Texas A&M, it was an inauspicious start to the season for the vaunted SMU offense. The Mustangs scored two defensive touchdowns, meaning they managed a modest four offensive scores against a weak FCS opponent. Of course, it’d be unfair to read too much into one game, especially when the Mustangs have a big game against Baylor this week.

6. Louisville (last week: 5)

The Cardinals had no trouble in a 51-17 win over in-state foe Eastern Kentucky, an FCS playoff participant in 2024. Granted, Louisville’s backups got outscored in the fourth quarter, but that’s just nitpicking. James Madison should provide a bigger challenge this week.

7. Duke (last week: 6)

Being tied with Elon at halftime wasn’t a good look for the Blue Devils. They eventually made up for it with a dominant second half, although it wasn’t the best first impression. They’ll need to play a full 60 minutes when they host Illinois this week. Otherwise, the Blue Devils risk embarrassing themselves and the ACC against a top-15 team.

8. Syracuse (last week: 7)

The Orange failed a big test against Tennessee, although there were a few silver linings in a loss to a superior opponent. It doesn’t look like Syracuse is on the same level as the elite teams in the ACC. But there’s no reason to think the Orange isn’t at least in the middle of the pack.

9. Pittsburgh (last week: 8)

A blowout win over Duquesne proved nothing other than the fact that the Panthers are the best team in their home city. Pat Narduzzi’s team will get a little more of a challenge this week when they host Central Michigan, which scored a road win over San Jose State in its opener.

10. Virginia Tech (last week: 9)

The Hokies put up a good fight against South Carolina on Sunday. But they also failed to score a touchdown in a 24-11 loss. Since they faced a top-15 opponent, it’s hard to punish them. However, it’s hard to get too excited about the season ahead, especially with another SEC opponent this week when the Hokies host Vanderbilt.

11. NC State (last week: 11)

The NC State defense made plays when it had to, surviving a 24-17 game with rival East Carolina. But it was an underwhelming performance overall by the Wolfpack. CJ Bailey threw for over 300 yards, but the offensive line and running game should have been more dominant. NC State may not be as close to the middle of the pack of the ACC as we thought, although they can start the conference season with a win when they host Virginia this week.

12. Virginia (last week: 12)

Virginia’s season opener could have been tricky, but the Cavaliers handled Coastal Carolina with ease. They looked good on both sides of the ball against a solid Sun Belt team. It’ll be interesting to see if that success translates next week at NC State.

13. Boston College (last week: 14)

Blowing out a Fordham team that was 2-10 last season doesn’t exactly move the needle much for the Eagles. But there’s no way to punish them for taking care of business against an FCS opponent. We’ll learn more about the Eagles this week when they visit Michigan State, a team they knocked off last season.

14. California (last week: 15)

Justin Wilcox can’t have too many complaints about how his team began the season. Despite a lot of questions heading into the season, the Golden Bears handled Oregon State 34-15. It’s not enough to leapfrog anyone in the power rankings, but it’s a promising start for Cal nonetheless.

15. North Carolina (last week: 13)

UNC took the opening drive right down the field for an easy touchdown in its opener against TCU. But it was all downhill from there in Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut, as the Tar Heels got smoked 42-14. It’s not enough to send them to the bottom of our power rankings, but they’re definitely keeping company with the ACC’s basement dwellers.

16. Stanford (last week: 17)

The Cardinal had the week off to lick their wounds from their loss to Hawaii in Week 0. Luckily for them, Wake Forest had a win that was worse than Stanford’s loss to Hawaii, so the Cardinal moved up a spot. Unfortunately, Stanford travels to face BYU this week.

17. Wake Forest (last week: 16)

Yikes! Despite getting the win, the Demon Deacons had a brutal season opener, beating Kennesaw State 10-9. A missed PAT in the first quarter ended up being the difference between Wake Forest and what could be one of the worst teams in the country this season. Jake Dickert might have more work ahead of him than we thought.