October has arrived, and some separation is finally starting to be created among North Carolina’s seven FBS college football programs.
Duke and Wake Forest have established themselves at the top – who saw that coming? – while NC State, UNC and Appalachian State form the chase group right behind. East Carolina still has something to prove, while Charlotte is searching for its first win after four tries.
Knowing that all of this could get blown up in one weekend, here are our latest North Carolina FBS Power Rankings following Week 4 games (Sept. 25):
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North Carolina Power Rankings | After Week 4 Games
1. Duke (4-0) – There shouldn’t be much argument here right now. Duke is the only unbeaten FBS team in the state – and one of only four undefeated teams in North Carolina from any division. The Blue Devils have the best overall résumé: a road win at Illinois, a 35-7 dismantling of Stanford, a 62-7 demolition of FCS William & Mary and a No. 21 national ranking in the coaches poll. If anything you could argue Duke is being undervalued at this point on the national level.
2. Wake Forest (3-1) – We wrote last week that we had bad vibes heading into Louisville and that the Deacs would likely struggle against the Cardinals’ athleticism. Wake Forest, which is used to the doubters at this point, proceeded to upset the No. 16 Cardinals in dramatic fashion, blocking a 57-yard field goal attempt on the last play. Live and learn! If there is such a thing as a quality loss, Wake Forest has that, too, with its strong second-half effort against Miami.
3. NC State (2-2) – The record isn’t pretty and many fans are still grumbly, but we’re keeping NC State fairly high because the losses have context: the Virginia opener was ugly, but the Wolfpack then crushed Richmond, played Vanderbilt to 35-31 on the road and just beat previously unbeaten App State 41-31. State outgained App 459-379 and, importantly, ran for 206 yards while holding App to 62. That’s a pretty convincing head-to-head separator. The season is far from over in Raleigh.
4. North Carolina (2-1) – This is where it gets interesting. UNC’s 15-10 win at TCU is aging reasonably well, ETSU was handled 35-3 and the only loss was 28-20 at Clemson, a game the Heels dominated through much of the first three quarters. This week, with No. 3 Notre Dame coming to town, will give us a much better gauge for just how good UNC is (or isn’t).
5. App State (3-1) – The Mountaineers went into Carter-Finley, fell behind 21-0 and 28-7, and fought back to 31-31 before State pulled away. Malachi Singleton threw for 317 yards. But the 62 rushing yards and 41 points allowed did expose some concerns for once Sun Belt play begins. The Mountaineers can address those with this week’s bye, then it’s off to Sun Belt play.
6. East Carolina (2-2) – ECU did exactly what it was supposed to do against North Carolina Central, winning 42-9. But the Pirates did lose to Appalachian State a few weeks ago, so there isn’t enough else on the 2026 resume to move them above the Mountaineers or into the top four. East Carolina also will be off this week, then it’s on to conference action.
7. Charlotte (0-4) – Unfortunately this one’s becoming pretty clear. Louisiana came into Charlotte and won 34-7, running twice as many plays and controlling time of possession. There is presently a meaningful gap between No. 6 and No. 7, even though Charlotte managed to keep things close on the field at App State a few weeks ago. The schedule doesn’t get easier with Memphis (3-1, 2-0 American) on deck.
What’s Next for North Carolina FBS?
Duke, App State and East Carolina are off this week, while Wake Forest hosts Stanford, NC State welcomes Louisville, Charlotte entertains Memphis and North Carolina gets the biggest test of all with No. 3 Notre Dame visiting Chapel Hill.
It is not likely Duke will move off its top spot, but the rest of the slots could be up for grabs depending on weekend results.
Check out the full Week 5 North Carolina college football schedule for kickoff times, TV channels and streaming information.
