ESPN ranks ACC Football teams from first to last after Week 14

The regular season is in the rearview. With that, ESPN took the time to rank all 17 ACC teams from first to last following Week 14.

ESPN ranked all the ACC teams using its FPI, or Football Power Index, metric. FPI is, primarily, a predictive tool. In that respect, it’s looking to rank the teams based on projected future outcomes. That has the tendency to make these unique from a traditional Power Ranking.

The ACC Championship Game is just around the corner. That’s all that’s left before the bowl-eligible teams start preparing for their bowl and, presumably, someone makes it into the College Football Playoff from the conference. With that in mind, here’s how the ACC stacks up.

1. Miami Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2)

Miami finished the regular season on a high note, winning four games in a row, all of which were in convincing fashion. Now, the question is if it was enough to make it to the CFP. It wasn’t enough to make the ACC Championship Game, though.

Currently ranked No. 12 by the selection committee, Miami is in a tight spot. The Hurricanes don’t have another chance to improve their resume and as it stands, they’d likely be on the outside looking in. So, Miami will either need help on the field or a change of heart off of it.

2. SMU Mustangs (8-4, 6-2)

SMU wrapped up its regular season with an upset loss to Cal. That made them one of five teams in the ACC to finish tied for second at 6-2 in conference play. It also cost them the chance to play for an ACC Championship.

A year removed from making it to the CFP, SMU is going to be on the outside looking in. Still, the Mustangs have a bowl to look forward to, as they try to cap off their season with a big win.

3. Louisville Cardinals (8-4, 4-4)

The Louisville Cardinals hit a skid in November. Still, they were able to finish strong with a blowout win over rival Kentucky. That was good enough for the Cardinals to finish third in the ACC rankings.

Louisville finishes the season .500 in conference play. They’re one of five ACC teams to finish there in the standings. So, what had been a promising season will end in a bowl game.

4. Clemson Tigers (7-5, 4-4)

There’s no way around it, the 2025 season was a disappointment for Clemson. Coming into the year, many expected the Tigers to be a national championship contender. Instead, they finished 7-5 overall and middle of the pack in the ACC.

ESPN still has the Tigers ranked fourth in the ACC. That comes following a win over rival South Carolina to end the season and four-straight wins overall. So, at the very least, Clemson is trending upwards into the bowl.

5. Florida State Seminoles (5-7, 2-6)

Florida State started the season by upsetting Alabama. They ended it by getting beaten badly by Florida. With that loss to the Gators, the Seminoles failed to get bowl eligible for a second season in a row, finishing just 2-6 in ACC play. Despite all those struggles, ESPN has Florida State ranked fifth in the ACC.

Head coach Mike Norvell will be back in 2026, but it’s going to be on a hot seat. So, this offseason is vital to turning the success of the program around on the field. Otherwise, it could become a bad situation for Norvell.

6. Pitt Panthers (8-4, 6-2)

Pitt had a chance to make some noise and even get to the ACC Championship in the final week of the season. That didn’t happen, though, with the Panthers losing by a wide margin to Miami. So, instead, Pitt will settle for a bowl.

To wrap up the regular season, Pitt is ranked sixth in the ACC, according to ESPN. They’re headed to a bowl in what has to be defined as a successful season, but there had been a chance for more come November.

7. Virginia Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1)

Virginia is coming in seventh in the ACC rankings. That’s the highest either of the two teams in the conference championship game is actually ranked. It also comes in a year where they finished first in the conference standings.

Wrapping up the regular season with two wins in a row, including over rival Virginia Tech, was nice. It got the Cavaliers to double-digit wins for the first time since 1989. Now, they want to add a conference championship and a trip to the CFP. It would be their first conference championship since 1995 and their first CFP trip ever.

8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3, 6-2)

Georgia Tech stumbled down the finish this season. Losses to Pitt and Georgia derailed the season late. It also now has the Yellow Jackets ranked eighth in the ACC by ESPN.

That late-season stumble cost them a real shot at the CFP. That’s going to be a disappointment. At the same time, it was a good year with a bowl game coming up.

9. Duke Blue Devils (7-5, 6-2)

The Duke Blue Devils are coming in ninth in the ACC, finishing with a 7-5 record. That includes wins in three of their last four conference games. That was vital, getting them to 6-2 in conference play.

Duke was the winner of the ACC’s tiebreakers. That means, ESPN’s No. 9 team in the conference is going to play for a conference championship. That’s a great opportunity, but with a win, it could also be costly to the ACC in the CFP.

10. NC State Wolfpack (7-5, 4-4)

NC State wrapped up its season with a blowout win over rival North Carolina. That made for wins in three of their final four game. It was also good enough to finish in the Top 10 of the ACC rankings.

There had been some discourse about the future of head coach Dave Doeren. It’s now known that he’ll be back next season. So, he’s ready to prepare this team into the bowl and the offseason now.

11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4, 4-4)
12. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-9, 2-6)
13. Cal Golden Bears (7-5, 4-4)
14. Stanford Cardinal (4-8, 3-5)
15. Boston College Eagles (2-10, 1-7)
16. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-8, 2-6)
17. Syracuse Orange (3-9, 1-7)