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Each week throughout the college football regular season, SyracuseRoundtable will bring you the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) power rankings. The rankings will help give a clearer picture as to how the top teams in the conference stack up against one another. In December, the top two teams will compete in Charlotte, N.C., not for just the conference title, but a berth in the College Football Playoff.

So, where does Syracuse football rank heading into the month of October?

No. 1 Miami

The Hurricanes seem to be pulling away from the teams in the ACC after another dominant non-conference win in Week 4. This time it was a win over Central Michigan by a lopsided mark of 52-3. Miami's lead in terms of the ACC power rankings is extending, not just because of how strong they have looked (outscoring their opponents 207-36 in four games), but also the chaotic finishes and upsets in the final weekend of September. The Hurricanes are likely to face their toughest test this week when they take on Clemson. 

No. 2 Virginia

The Cavaliers have a chance to prove they are the second-best team in the ACC when they take on Florida State this weekend. Virginia was just a few plays from winning the conference in 2025. The conference runner-up last season benefited last weekend from SMU and Louisville's performance.

No. 3 Virginia Tech

In similar fashion to Virginia, the Hokies move up the rankings thanks to the results of SMU and Louisville. James Franklin has his squad sitting at 4-0 and 1-0 in ACC play. The Hokies host the Pittsburgh Panthers Friday night in Blacksburg, Va.

No. 4 Louisville

The Cardinals were upset by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 30-27 last weekend. Louisville entered the game as a double-digit favorite. The loss creates a much more difficult path for the team to make the ACC title game. Six of the 17 teams still have yet to lose in ACC play. 

No. 5  SMU

The Mustangs barely hung on to a top 5 spot in our rankings with a less than impressive 34-24 win over Missouri State. SMU trailed by double-digits in the first quarter before mounting a comeback. While Missouri State is a non-conference foe, a second ACC loss by SMU likely ends their chances to compete for a College Football Playoff berth. 

Best of the rest 

No. 6 Clemson

No. 7 Florida State

No. 8 Duke

No. 9 Wake Forest

No. 10 North Carolina State

No. 11 Pittsburgh 

No. 12 North Carolina

No. 13 Stanford

No. 14 Georgia Tech

No 15. California

No. 16 Syracuse

The Orange fall one spot despite being idle in Week 4. Head coach Fran Brown's squad needs to figure out what the starting quarterback position looks like before more confidence can be placed on this Syracuse unit. Steve Angeli is set to start for the Orange this upcoming weekend, but it looks like Amari Odom will see time.

No. 17 Boston College

What ACC matchups are taking place this weekend?

On Friday night, Virginia Tech hosts Pittsburgh. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Stanford travels to take on Wake Forest while Boston College visits SMU. Both games are set to kick off on Saturday at noon ET. 

The 3:30 p.m. ET window features NC State hosting Louisville and Florida State hosting Virginia. 

The final game in ACC conference play features Clemson hosting Miami with a kick set for at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Of course, Syracuse will play Saturday at noon ET in non-conference action against the UConn Huskies.

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