Pittsburgh’s stunning 42–28 upset over No. 16 Georgia Tech on Saturday didn’t just shake up the ACC standings, it pushed the conference closer to a nightmare College Football Playoff scenario in which the league could be left without a representative entirely. With the Yellow Jackets officially eliminated from ACC title contention, the conference’s margin for error has narrowed dramatically.
Making things even more complicated were other results around the ACC. No. 13 Miami kept its small championship hopes alive by beating Virginia Tech, SMU blew out Louisville by 32 points, and Duke gave North Carolina another loss. The combined impact? The ACC race is still alive for four teams such as, No. 19 Virginia, Miami, Pittsburgh, and SMU. Only two will reach the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 6 in Charlotte.
The real concern for the league lies not in who gets to Charlotte, but in how the College Football Playoff committee will view the eventual champion. Only Virginia and Miami are currently ranked, while Group of Five contenders Tulane (9–2) and James Madison (10–1) continue to surge and control their paths to their own conference titles. With both teams rising in the committee’s rankings, a scenario in which the ACC champion falls behind multiple Group of Five champions is no longer far-fetched.
Virginia remains in the strongest position. The Cavaliers will clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Virginia Tech. SMU can secure its place with a victory over Cal. Pittsburgh, now rejuvenated after its win over Georgia Tech, needs to beat Miami and have either Virginia or SMU lose.
Miami’s path is the hardest. The Hurricanes need to beat Pittsburgh, hope Virginia loses to Virginia Tech, and also need Cal to upset SMU. Basically, the Hokies and Golden Bears have suddenly become the ACC’s unexpected troublemakers.
Even with all of that, nothing is promised. If Pitt or SMU wins the ACC, there’s no guarantee the playoff committee will rank either team ahead of Tulane or James Madison. And with only five automatic spots in the new 12-team playoff, an ACC champion that isn’t ranked could end up fighting for one of the last at-large spots, which is a risky situation when the committee focuses on picking the “best” teams, not just the most deserving ones.
For ACC fans hoping to avoid a disaster, the safest paths are limited: Virginia winning out and claiming the conference title, Miami pulling off a miracle run with extensive outside help, or James Madison suffering an unexpected loss that reshapes the Group of Five landscape.
All eyes now turn to Tuesday night’s playoff rankings. Where SMU and Pittsburgh land relative to Group of Five contenders may dictate whether the ACC has a place at the table, or watches the playoff from home.
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