College Football ACC power rankings entering Week 2

The ACC: The Always Chaos Conference. So much chaos that the ACC is the only conference among the Power-4 that had conference matchups in Week 1 of college football. We officially have ACC Standings! The same can't be said for the Big 10, Big 12, or SEC. And boy, do we need them! The ACC has a very muddy middle where all of the teams appear on a very similar level, so let's try to rank them! MORE: College Football risers & fallers after Week 1 Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on against LSU Tigers Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES Out of respect for Dabo Swinney, Clemson gets to remain in the top-ten this week. Also because LSU might be a true National Championship contender. The Tigers are on thin ice, though, and another mediocre performance from Chris Vizzina will see them removed entirely. There can't be a full week without some sort of drama in Chapel Hill. We now have a scandal with accusations against DC Steve Belichick that will see him dismissed, if true, and could reflect poorly enough on the head coach to fire him, again, if true. The good news for the Tar Heels is that they host ETSU in Week 2, and not even these distractions should change the result of that game. The Blue Devils made their game plan for the season very apparent on Saturday: they're going to run Nate Sheppard until he can't run any more. And man, were they good at it against Tulane! Sheppard carried the load with 35 carries for 227 yards and 3 TDs. Sep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Gio Lopez (3) leaps over Akron Zips defensive back Catrell White (21) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images It is clear after Week 1 that the Demon Deacons received South Alabama Gio Lopez and not North Carolina Gio Lopez. The lefty gunslinger looked awesome against Akron and appears to have full command and control of the Rob Ezell offense, and we know Jake Dickert can coach up some defense. Watch out for the Deacs this season. Welcome to the James Franklin experience, Virginia Tech! Beating the absolute mess out of inferior teams is what he does! A 73-3 win over VMI teaches us very little about the Hokies, but they sure did look good. Mason Heintschel tied an ACC record by throwing for a lucky 7 TDs against Miami (Ohio), in addition to 453 yards. If he plays like this against actual ACC competition, the Panthers could be a dark horse to make it to Charlotte. The Cavaliers had a well-earned week off in Week 1 after beating NC State in Week Zero. Presumably, the bye week was designated as travel back from Brazil, but that trip ended up getting scrapped. Week 2 is another opportunity to recover from the 'jet lag,' as the 'Hoos host Norfolk State. Beau Pribula has a chance to re-ignite his Week Zero Heisman hype with another big day. Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) throws the ball against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Mustangs had to overcome a little adversity to win in Tallahassee without using any electronic devices, like they were playing the game in Amish Country. If not for a few miscues, this could have been a statement blowout win. Kevin Jennings looked sharp for the most part, and connected with his new receivers very well. The Cardinals played admirably in a 41-38 loss to Ole Miss in Week 1. A few boneheaded penalties really hurt them down the stretch, and that should be an easy fix. But Lincoln Kienholz is the real deal, and this is a talented squad that could easily find themselves in Charlotte. The only question left after Miami's 45-6 win over Stanford is who helped their Heisman stock more between Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney? Mensah threw for 401 yards, but 234 of them were to Toney! — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —