ESPN ranks ACC Football teams from first to last ahead of Week 6

Going into Week 6 of the college football season, ESPN updated its FPI rankings and metrics. Few conferences across the country are shaping up to be as entertaining as the ACC entering October.

There is a good amount of change throughout the new-look rankings. No surprise about who occupies the top spot but Week 5 results produced movement elsewhere.

So, let’s dive into the latest ACC rankings from ESPN. Remember this is based on the FPI metrics and ratings.

1. Miami Hurricanes

When it comes to the FPI, there is no wiggle room as to who holds the No. 1 spot. Miami is far and away the ACC’s best team per the metric after starting an impressive 4-0.

Mario Cristobal nearly broke through last season, just falling short of the College Football Playoff. Now, this team feels like they have a chance to finally get there. ESPN’s FPI gives Miami a 67.1% chance to be in the field at this time.

2. Florida State Seminoles

What an opportunity ahead for Florida State. A bounce-back performance was always going to be needed after losing this past Friday night. You cannot ask for a better opponent than your in-state rival to get emotions running again.

Beating Miami might move the Seminoles up in the FPI’s eyes. Right now, they are a fringe top 25 team with an outside shot of making the CFP.

3. Virginia Cavaliers

Upsetting Florida State jumped Virginia into the FPI’s top three after entering last week at No. 5. Chaos in Charlottesville turned into the storyline of Week 5 in college football, producing one of the all-time field stormings.

There is still a big gap between UVA and FSU, sitting at four points. However, the Hoos hold significantly better odds to win the ACC and around the same odds to be included in the CFP.

4. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville continues to fly under the radar nationally. A quiet early-season schedule plays a role and the next two weeks will wind up telling us a ton of where the Cardinals are.

Virginia comes to the Derby City on Saturday before enjoying a second bye week. Then, a Friday night tilt in Coral Gables for the back-end of two crucial ACC showdowns.

5. SMU Mustangs

Year Two in the ACC for SMU is not going as swimmingly as least season. The Mustangs made the ACC Championship game and got into the College Football Playoff as an at-large team.

A pair of in-state nonconfernece games put SMU behind this ball this year. Still, there is everything to play for going into the ACC opener in Dallas on Saturday.

6. Duke Blue Devils

Manny Diaz got off to a rough start with two losses early, sporting a 1-2 record. But two wins to begin conference play means Duke holds a winning record and is trending in the right direction.

Just missing out on the top five from an overall FPI standpoint, Duke actually holds the third-best chance to win the ACC Championship. Next up is the always tough trip out West to Berkley.

7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech might come in at No. 7 per the FPI among ACC teams. However, they are projected to finish with a record of 9-3, which would be good enough for third overall.

Brent Key continues to find ways to win games in different situations. Some in Atlanta might want the CFP chance to be higher than 9.7%, hoping to continue its good run when they take the field again on Oct. 11.

8. Clemson Tigers

Clemson entered 2025 as a preseason favorite to win the national championship. As October rolls around on the calendar, the Tigers already possess three losses on their record.

ESPN’s FPI is giving no guarantees that Dabo Swinney will finish with a winning record. The projected win-loss record sits at 5.4-6.6 before a showdown against Bill Belichick.

9. NC State Wolfpack

After starting 3-0 — including two conference wins — NC State dropped a second straight game on Saturday. Dave Doeren is one of the more consistent coaches in the ACC but is still looking for better results moving forward.

Getting to six wins is put at 75.4% by the FPI. Every other metric sits at 0.0%, though, from making the ACC Championship game to winning the national championship.

10. Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech might not currently have a head coach but they are still inside the top 10. Still, the Hokies are not given a great chance to reach a bowl game, currently sitting at 20.8%.

The program’s future consumes attention at the moment. However, plenty of games remain on the 2025 schedule to prove some of the numbers against them incorrect.

11. Pittsburgh Panthers
12. Boston College Eagles
13. California Golden Bears
14. Syracuse Orange
15. Stanford Cardinal
16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
17. North Carolina Tar Heels

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report