At the season’s halfway point, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1, 3-1 ACC) are separating themselves from the rest of the conference in our weekly ACC Football Power Rankings. Two weeks ago, the Deacs held the No. 2 spot despite an average ranking of 4.20, thanks to a tight cluster of teams ranked second through sixth. Last week, that average improved to 3.10. This week, it dropped further to 2.44 — more than a full point ahead of No. 3 SMU.

The numbers tell the story: Wake Forest has solidified its position as the ACC’s second-best team in our rankings.

The Miami Hurricanes have not received a vote below first place all season. Once again, they are unanimously the top pick. This week, several teams moved up or down the list by three or four places. The biggest movers were Louisville (up 4), North Carolina (up 4), and Virginia Tech (down 4).

This week, we have two different ties in our rankings. Clemson and North Carolina are tied at No. 8, while Boston College and Syracuse are tied at No. 15. Stanford returns to the bottom of the list, a spot it held in Weeks 3 and 4.

How Power Rankings Are Determined

Each week, our editorial staff of ten writers individually ranks the 17 ACC teams. We tabulate all the votes and determine the weekly power rankings.

Here's where our staff ranked the teams this week:

2026 ACC Power Rankings – Week 7

• Miami remains in the top spot. No other team received a first-place vote.
• Stanford is now No. 17.
• Boston College, Florida State, and Syracuse also received last-place votes.
• After dropping four spots last week, Louisville went back up four spots this week. North Carolina also moved up four spots, while Virginia Tech dropped four spots.
• Five teams had six or more spots between their highest and lowest rankings; Florida State had the most, with an 11-point spread.
• Other teams with at least six spots between the highest and lowest rankings are Clemson (7), Louisville (6), Pittsburgh (6), and Virginia (9)

17. Stanford (2-4, 1-3)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 16
Highest Ranking: #15
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Lost at Notre Dame 7-58
This Week: vs. Elon

15 (tie). Boston College (2-3, 0-2)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 14
Highest Ranking: #12
Lowest Ranking: #16
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Pittsburgh

15 (tie). Syracuse (2-3, 0-3)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 15
Highest Ranking: #14
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Lost at Virginia 25-28
This Week: vs. Louisville

14. Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 17
Highest Ranking: #12
Lowest Ranking: #16
Last Week: Beat Duke 28-25
This Week: at Virginia Tech

13. NC State (3-3, 1-2)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 11
Highest Ranking: #12
Lowest Ranking: #14
Last Week: Lost to Wake Forest 14-38
This Week: Bye Week

12. Florida State (3-3, 1-2)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 9
Highest Ranking: #6
Lowest Ranking: #17
Last Week: Lost at Louisville 20-44
This Week: at Miami

11. California (3-3, 2-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 13
Highest Ranking: #11
Lowest Ranking: #14
Last Week: Beat Virginia Tech 25-20
This Week: vs. Wake Forest

10. Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-2)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 6
Highest Ranking: #7
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Lost at California 20-25
This Week: vs. Georgia Tech

8 (tie). Clemson (3-2, 2-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 10
Highest Ranking: #4
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Charleston Southern

8 (tie). North Carolina (3-2, 1-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 12
Highest Ranking: #6
Lowest Ranking: #10
Last Week: Beat Pittsburgh 21-17
This Week: at Duke

7. Duke (4-1, 1-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 4 (tie)
Highest Ranking: #5
Lowest Ranking: #9
Last Week: Lost at Georgia Tech 25-28
This Week: vs. North Carolina

6. Virginia (4-2, 2-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 7
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Beat Syracuse 28-25
This Week: at SMU

5. Pittsburgh (5-1, 2-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 3
Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #9
Last Week: Lost to North Carolina 17-21
This Week: at Boston College

4. Louisville (3-3, 2-2)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 8
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #8
Last Week: Beat Florida State 44-20
This Week: at Syracuse

3. #24 SMU (4-1, 2-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 4 (tie)
Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #8
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Virginia

2. #21 Wake Forest (5-1, 3-1)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 2
Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #4
Last Week: Beat NC State 38-14
This Week: at California

1. #3 Miami (5-0, 3-0)

Last Week's Power Ranking: 1
Highest Ranking: #1
Lowest Ranking: #1
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Florida State

Note: Power Rankings are determined by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI editorial staff.

How Do Other On SI Sites See the ACC?

We aren't the only On SI site ranking the ACC this week. Georgia Tech On SI and Virginia Tech On SI have ACC Football Power Rankings this week. Check out their rankings here to see how they compare with our staff's rankings:

- Georgia Tech On SI - Wake Forest No. 2 (up two spots)
- Virginia Tech On SI - Wake Forest No. 2 (no change)

What's Next

Wake Forest travels across the country to play at Cal on Saturday, October 17, at 10:30 pm ET. It's ACC After Dark! The game will air on ESPN2 and will be played at California Memorial Stadium.