The ACC has seen wild games and crazy upsets this year. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fell from the driver’s seat to make the ACC Championship game when they got blown out by the Pittsburgh Panthers last week. This weekend is the final week in the regular season, and a few ACC teams are vying to make the championship game.
The teams in the driver's seat are SMU and Virginia. They are both in the ACCCG with a win. SMU travels to face California at -13.5 betting favorites, and the game will start at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Virginia hosts Virginia Tech at -8.5 betting favorites, and the game will start at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Miami Hurricanes are eliminated from the ACCCG if both win. They will travel to face the Pittsburgh Panthers as -6.5 betting favorites. That game is at noon, and Miami will be eliminated from the ACCCG and the College Football Playoffs immediately with a loss against Pittsburgh.
The crazy part about this season is that six teams still have a path to play in the ACCCG.
ACCCG Scenarios (Via theACC.com)
Duke clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- Win + PITT loss + SMU loss OR
- Win + PITT loss + SMU loss + UVA loss OR
- Win + PITT loss + UVA loss + UNC win OR
- Win + PITT loss + UVA loss + NCSU win + Finish higher than MIA in SportSource Analytics ranking
Georgia Tech clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- PITT win + UVA loss + SMU loss OR
- MIA win + SMU loss + Duke loss + UVA loss + NCSU win OR
- MIA Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA loss + UNC win + BC win + Finish higher than MIA & SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking OR
- MIA Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA win + NCSU win + BC win + Finish higher than MIA & SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking
Miami clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- Win + UVA loss + DUKE loss + SMU win OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA loss + NCSU win OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA loss + UNC win + SYR win OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA loss + UNC win + BC win + Finish higher than GT & SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA win + NCSU win + SYR win OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE loss + UVA win + NCSU win + BC win + Finish higher than GT & SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking OR
- Win + SMU loss + DUKE win + UVA loss + NCSU win OR
- Win + SMU win + DUKE win + UVA loss + NCSU win + Finish higher than DUKE in SportSource Analytics ranking
Pittsburgh clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- Win + UVA loss OR
- Win + SMU loss
SMU clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- Win OR
- PITT loss + DUKE loss + UVA win + UNC win OR
- PITT loss + DUKE loss + UVA win + NCSU win + BC win + Finish higher than GT & MIA in SportSource Analytics ranking OR
- PITT loss + DUKE loss + UVA loss + UNC win + BC win + Finish higher than GT & MIA in SportSource Analytics ranking
Virginia clinches a spot in the championship game with:
- Win OR
- SMU loss + PITT loss + UNC win
It's amazing that so many media members are vouching for the Miami Hurricanes to make the College Football Playoffs when they have a high probability of not making the ACCCG. How can they deserve to be ranked that highly when they can't win arguably the weakest conference of the Power Four?
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There’s no guarantee they will beat Pittsburgh on the road because Mario Cristobal teams usually falter down the stretch(they already have as betting favorites twice.
Miami fans are arguing they should be ahead of Notre Dame because they won the head-to-head matchup weeks ago. What about if SMU wins the ACC while also holding a head-to-head win over Miami? Shouldn't they get in over Miami at that point?