1. No. 5 Clemson Tigers (4-0) –
A narrow escape for the Tigers against a good Wake Forest team improved their record to 2-0 in conference play.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has emerged as a Heisman dark horse after his play in the win, completing 26 of his 41 pass attempts for 371 yards and five touchdowns.
The Tigers will face NC State in a top 10 showdown on Saturday in Death Valley.
2. No. 10 NC State Wolfpack (4-0) –
The Wolfpack smothered UConn last weekend, leading 31-3 at halftime and winning the game 41-10 behind Devin Leary’s arm.
The Wolfpack are gearing up for what is possibly their most critical game of the season against Clemson this Saturday.
3. No. 23 Florida State Seminoles (4-0) 🔼4
Few people would’ve predicted the Seminoles would be routing ACC teams this season, but starting quarterback Jordan Travis has vaulted Florida State to 4-0.
Much of the credit has to go to Mike Norvell, whose offense scored 44 points against Boston College last week. The Seminoles have a huge challenge this week against the Demon Deacons, a game that could likely be a shootout.
4. Syracuse Orange (4-0) –
The Orange hit a shocking five field goals in their sloppy 22-20 win over Virginia.
Syracuse survived a trap game on Friday and hopes to remain undefeated against a winless Wagner team before the Orange take on the Wolfpack on Oct. 15.
5. No. 22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-1) 🔽2
The Demon Deacons played a great game against Clemson, taking the perennial powerhouse to two overtimes before falling to the Tigers, 51-45.
Sam Hartman continued his outstanding season, throwing six touchdowns against the Tigers, boasting an impressive 91.4 QBR. This week, the Demon Deacons’ defense takes on Jordan Travis and No. 23 Florida State.
6. No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers (3-1) –
The Panthers and quarterback Kedon Slovis took care of Pat Narduzzi’s alma mater last week, defeating Rhode Island, 45-24.
Pittsburgh can run the table this year, and its loss to the Tennessee Volunteers is looking better week over week. Pitt is a team to watch out for starting this week as the Panthers face a scrambling Georgia Tech team.
7. North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1) 🔼1
North Carolina lost 45-32 last week to a Notre Dame team that nearly doubled its season total of points in the game.
The good news for the Tar Heels is that quarterback Drake Maye is averaging 307.75 passing yards per game and is making Heisman noise; the bad news is that their defense is allowing 495.3 yards per game.
The Tar Heels will look to bounce back this week against a struggling Virginia Tech team.
8. Louisville Cardinals (2-2) 🔼1
It was a good week for the Cardinals, defeating a scrappy USF team 41-3. The game was especially successful for the shifty Malik Cunningham, who accounted for four total touchdowns on the day.
The Cardinals will look to get their first ACC win against a Boston College team.
9. Duke Blue Devils (3-1) 🔼1
Duke fell short against the undefeated Big 12 conference leader Kansas Jayhawks in a 35-27 loss for the Blue Devils’ first defeat of the season.
Duke has an opportunity to win its fourth game of the year this Saturday vs. Virginia.
10. Miami Hurricanes (2-2) 🔽5
Saturday’s game between the Hurricanes and Middle Tennessee State was nothing short of an embarrassment for a team that came in with a lot of hype this season.
Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was benched in the Hurricanes’ 45-31 loss, one of the most surprising results in Week 4 of college football.
Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes have this week off as they recover and figure out how to bounce back before they open conference play.
11. Virginia Cavaliers (2-2) - 
Compared to North Carolina, it was a much better week for the Cavaliers as they almost knocked off an undefeated Syracuse squad,
Still, Virginia’s offense wasn’t on par with the team’s excellent red zone defense.
Questions are beginning to swirl around Brennan Armstrong and the offense. The season can become bleak very quickly if the Cavaliers fall to the Blue Devils this Saturday.
12. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-2) –
It’s been a rough start to the season for rookie head coach Brent Pry, as the Hokies fell to a struggling West Virginia team in a 33-10 loss. The Hokies’ defense has been holding the team together, but they face one of the top offenses in the country this week in the Tar Heels.
13. Boston College Eagles (1-3) 🔼1
The Eagles’ woes continued last Saturday, as Boston College lost 44-14 to the Florida State Seminoles.
Boston College’s offensive line has struggled and will have a tough challenge this week as the Eagles play a Louisville defense that has generated 13 sacks this season.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-3) 🔽1
Things aren’t usually great when your program fires its head coach and athletic director, and that’s the exact situation Georgia Tech is in after it lost against UCF in Week 4.
The Yellow Jackets’ troubles will likely continue this week when they go on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers.