The college football season has hit the halfway point as Week 7 begins this weekend. As far as the ACC goes, there have been some good stories and some stories that, well, haven't been so great. There have even been some coaches who are seeing the hot seat and some who are coming off it.
There is still a lot to play for this season, and through the first six weeks of the season, here are three winners and two losers in the ACC.
Winner: Wake Forest
Nobody's stock is rising as quickly in 2026 as Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons had a good first season under Jake Dickert, and they are on pace for a great second season under him. Heading into this week's game at California, Wake has separated itself as the second-best team behind Miami.
There are a lot of games remaining before the end of the season, and a lot can happen, but Wake Forest is the frontrunner to play the Hurricanes in Charlotte in early December. If that happens, some schools with openings this season will come calling for Dickert in Winston-Salem.
Loser: Dave Doeren
Somehow, someway, North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren has flown under the radar in terms of job security outside of Raleigh. However, patience is growing thin within the Wolfpack fanbase, and there have been a couple of losses that have not sat well with the fans.
The first one was at Vanderbilt last month when all NC State had to do was run out the clock, take a safety, and leave Nashville with a win. Instead, quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled the ball in the end zone on the game's last play, and they lost. Last weekend, one week after upsetting Louisville at home, Wake Forest came to town and routed NC State. Will Doeren survive this season? It wouldn't be surprising if he didn't.
Winner: Miami
The rich keep getting richer. Mario Cristobal struck gold against Duke transfer Darian Mensah coming down in the portal. He is already better than what the Hurricanes had last season with Carson Beck, and Miami is a team that is rolling toward the ACC Championship Game and is a top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes are a scary team on a mission in 2026.
Loser: Pat Narduzzi
If Pittsburgh fans ever wonder why nobody takes the Panthers or Pat Narduzzi seriously, well, the last two weeks are why. After wins against an inferior schedule of Miami of Ohio, Central Florida, Syracuse, and Bucknell, Narduzzi screamed from the top of a mountain that his team should be ranked. Then a two-point win over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on a John Love missed field goal got Pitt in the Top 25 two days later at No. 25. All is well in Pat Narduzzi's world.
Then, for some reason, he fired shots at Penn State about the rankings, screamed and yelled some more about the rankings, and then went out and lost at home to Bill Belichick and North Carolina. Honestly, you couldn't make it up if you tried. Panthers fans should have seen this coming. Once Pitt hit 5-0 under Narduzzi, they reached their ceiling for the season. There is no way that they lose to Boston College this week, is there? If they do, Narduzzi will be in true midseason form.
Winner: Bill Belichick
Last season, Belichick was a punching bag of jokes, but this year, so far, is different. The Tar Heels opened the season with a win over TCU, and then last week, Belichick went to Pittsburgh and pantsed Narduzzi to hand the Panthers their first loss of the season. If things continue to trend in the right direction, Belichick will be around for at least another season in Chapel Hill and get the last laugh.
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