By R.L. Bynum

The pattern is eerily similar to last season for North Carolina’s football team: lose two consecutive ACC games, including blowing a lead to Georgia Tech, and fall out of the AP Top 25.

Last season, the 21–17 loss to the Jackets was the first of the two losses, and at home, with the other being the 30–27 overtime loss to N.C. State. This season, a 46–42 loss to Georgia Tech is the second, after a 31–27 setback against Virginia.

The Tar Heels already had fallen to No. 22 before leaving the poll last season, but the poll exit this season is from a No. 17 ranking. It’s the first time UNC has been unranked in late October since 2021, after — you guessed it — the Tar Heels lost 45–22 to Georgia Tech at the Atlanta Falcons’ stadium.

UNC has company from down the road, though, as Duke — No. 20 in last week’s poll — fell out of the Top 25 after a 23–0 loss to Louisville, which moved from No. 18 to No. 15.

UNC got the 27th-most poll points (54) in the AP poll behind Oklahoma State but stayed in the Coaches Poll at No. 25 after falling eight spots, Duke dropped out of the Coaches Poll after a No. 21 ranking last week.

That leaves Louisville and No. 4 Florida State as the only ACC teams ranked in the AP Top 25, and means no team on UNC’s regular-season schedule is ranked.

Ranked teams also losing were Oklahoma (fell from No. 6 to No. 10 after a 38–33 loss to Kansas), Utah (fell from No. 13 to No. 18 after a 35–6 defeat against Oregon, which slid up from No. 8 to No. 6), and Oregon State (fell from No. 11 to No. 16 after a 27–24 loss to Arizona).

None of the three North Carolina-based voters — Steve Wiseman, the Duke beat writer for The News & Observer, Kate Rogerson of WTVD or Jordan Crammer of WNCN — ranked either the Tar Heels or the Blue Devils.

Only 16 voters ranked UNC, with Jordan Guskey of The Topeka Capital-Journal voting the Tar Heels the highest at No. 19. Carolina appeared on two ballots each as No. 20, No. 21, No. 22 and No. 23. Four voters have UNC No. 24 and three voted the Heels No. 25.

AP Top 25

Rank	Team (1st-place vote)	Poll points	Previous	Record
1	Georgia (48)	1,553	1	8-0
2	Michigan (9)	1,494	2	8-0
3	Ohio State (3)	1,446	3	8-0
4	Florida State (3)	1,421	4	8-0
5	Washington	1,327	5	8-0
6	Oregon	1,235	8	7-1
7	Texas	1,189	7	7-1
8	Alabama	1,114	9	7-1
9	Penn State	1,044	10	7-1
10	Oklahoma	1,010	6	7-1
11	Ole Miss	990	12	7-1
12	Notre Dame	847	14	7-2
13	LSU	816	15	6-2
14	Missouri	714	16	7-1
15	Louisville	666	18	7-1
16	Oregon State	557	11	6-2
17	Air Force	526	19	8-0
18	Utah	510	13	6-2
19	Tennessee	473	21	6-2
20	UCLA	331	23	6-2
21	Tulane	303	22	7-1
22	Kansas	250	NR	6-2
23	James Madison	192	25	8-0
24	Southern Cal	139	24	7-2
25	Kansas State	112	NR	6-2

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma St. 77, North Carolina 54, Liberty 47, Fresno St. 16, Miami 11, Arizona 6, Toledo 3, Rutgers 2. Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votes.

Team	ACC	All
No. 16 Virginia	7–1	10–2
No. 12 Miami	6–2	10–2
No. 25 SMU	6–2	8–4
No. 24 Georgia Tech	6–2	9–3
Pittsburgh	6–2	8–4
Duke	6–2	7–5
Louisville	4–4	8–4
Wake Forest	4–4	8–4
California	4–4	7–5
Clemson	4–4	7–5
N.C. State	4–4	7–5
Stanford	3–5	4–8
Florida State	2–6	5–7
North Carolina	2–6	4–8
Virginia Tech	2–6	3–9
Syracuse	1–7	3–9
Boston College	1–7	2–10

Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC

Month/ date	Score/ time	Opponent	Record/ TV
September
1	L, 48–14	vs. TCU	0–1
6	W, 20–3	at Charlotte	1–1
13	W, 41–6	vs. Richmond	2–1
20	L, 34–9	at UCF	2–2
October
4	L, 38–10	vs. Clemson	2–3, 0–1 ACC
17 (Fri.)	L, 21–18	at California	2–4, 0–2
25	L, 17–16, OT	vs. No. 16 Virginia	2–5, 0–3
31 (Fri.)	W, 27–10	at Syracuse	3–5, 1–3
November
8	W, 20–15	vs. Stanford	4–5, 2–3
15	L, 28–12	at Wake Forest	4–6, 2–4
22	L, 32–25	vs. Duke	4–7, 2–5
29	L, 42–19	at N.C. State	4–8, 2–6