The ACC is one of the toughest conferences in football, and this season is continuing to demonstrate that. Only four teams have losing records, and almost all are competitive week after week. This week, NC State and Syracuse are teams to keep an eye on while Virginia Tech, Duke and Boston College will battle for their own places in the conference.

1) Clemson (5-0)

This is the most dominant team in the ACC and one of the most dominant in all of college football. Clemson almost lost to Syracuse in a 27-23 nailbiter, but that was after losing freshman quarterback phenom Trevor Lawrence, and is more of a testament to how good Syracuse is, as opposed to the alternative. Clemson will continue its stranglehold of the conference, and most likely make the College Football Playoff, unless a miracle upset occurs.

2) Miami (4-1)

Miami is an up-and-down team this season, but quarterback N’Kosi Perry seems to have filled the void at quarterback for now. Miami somehow dropped a spot in the AP rankings, going from No. 16 to No. 17, even after battering UNC-Chapel Hill 47-10. Miami does have a relatively easy schedule, so they will just need to continue to blowout the bad teams in order to maintain themselves as the next best team in the conference.

3) NC State (4-0)

The Wolfpack moves up to the No. 3 position this week due to its undefeated record and overall talent on the roster. The receiving corps looks like one of the best in the nation and graduate quarterback Ryan Finley looks as NFL-ready as ever. If this team can continue to win against in-conference opponents, and hold its own against Clemson, the Pack could potentially rise even further.

4) Syracuse; Record (4-1)

Syracuse lost last week, but is trending upwards in these rankings. Why? Because the Orange had an extremely close game with top dog Clemson, and look like they are continuously improving. Quarterback Eric Dungey looks impressive with nine touchdowns thus far with only two interceptions, and the Orange’s defense looks like it can carry this team as far as it needs to go.

5) Boston College (4-1)

Boston College could be ranked higher, but deadly mistakes are costing the Eagles entire games. Ejections to key players, sloppy play, etc. have cost this team a much higher ranking. The Eagles still figure to be one of the strongest teams in the conference, and have great on-paper talent that will certainly help them win more games.

6) Virginia Tech (3-1)

Virginia Tech is a relative powerhouse, but has lost a few spots in the rankings and within the conference as a whole. Losing to Old Dominion did not help the Hokies’ case, and this team looks like it is slipping, but injuries could be at play after losing starting quarterback Josh Jackson. The Hokies beat Duke last week, which has led them to the No. 24 spot in the AP Poll this week, so this group might get back on the right track yet.

7) Duke (4-1)

Duke is a team that is most definitely a powerhouse in the weekly rankings, which is somewhat of a surprise. Duke lost last week in the Blue Devils’ first conference game, which is unsettling, but if they bounce back they can be ranked in the top 25 once more. This team’s true colors will show in the next few weeks.

8) Wake Forest; (3-2)

Wake Forest always sports a solid team, and this year is no exception. Wake did lose to Boston College, but it was contested, and the Demon Deacons’ only other loss came against No. 6 Notre Dame. Side note: wide receiver Greg Dortch is a great focal point to have on this offense, having scored four touchdowns in the team’s most recent game against Rice.

9) Virginia (3-2)

Virginia lost in a one-sided game to NC State most recently, but still figures to not be a pushover. While the conference does not go through them, the Cavaliers cannot be slept on and considered an easy win week-by-week. The Cavaliers will probably not enter the top five in the conference this season, but will show improvement and grow as a team together.

10) Florida State (3-2)

Florida State has been a shocker this season, for all of the wrong reasons. FSU has only beaten one conference opponent, Louisville, and that was only by four points. Blowout losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse are not good looks for this team, and the Seminoles will really need to learn to handle themselves if they want any chance of improvement.

11) Louisville (2-3)

The bottom four teams are in a tier of their own. These four teams have been bad, and that shows week after week. Any of these four teams are relatively interchangeable, but Louisville ranks above the others due to their relative competitive nature, and keeping the game close against Florida State, who has also looked rough, but is stronger on paper.

12) Georgia Tech (2-3)

Georgia Tech theoretically would be higher, for their 63-17 demolishing of Bowling Green, but are very one-sided this season. When Georgia Tech wins, they really win, with a combined score of 104-17 in games they win, and only one game this season for them has been decided by a touchdown or less. Georgia Tech has talent, and could really bounce back if given enough time and more conference wins.

13) UNC-Chapel Hill (1-3)

The only thing separating Chapel Hill from Pitt is the fact that the Tar Heels have defeated the Panthers this season, albeit by a small margin. Chapel Hill just seems aimless right now as a football team, but the season is still young.

14) Pittsburgh (2-3)

The bottom spot on the rankings goes to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has back-to-back losses to Chapel Hill and Central Florida, and another loss to Penn State University. Both Penn State and Central Florida routed Pittsburgh by a combined score of 96-20.