ACC standings, explained: Updated 2025 tiebreakers for Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia and more
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ACC standings, explained: Updated 2025 tiebreakers for Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia and more originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Who wants to win the ACC?
That's a multiple-choice question with five possible answers with just one weeks left in the regular season. Those teams are in contention to make the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Dec. 6.
LIVE:Updated college football polls after Week 12
Three ACC teams were ranked in the third set of College Football Playoff rankings, including No. 13 Miami, No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. Pitt and SMU are in the hunt, too.
The conference race took another turn Saturday night. Pitt upset Georgia Tech 42-28, which knocked the Yellow Jackets from the leader in the race to all but out of the race.
ACC football standings 2025
The ACC has six teams with two conference losses or less heading into Rivalry Week. Here is a closer look at those standings:
| SCHOOL | OVERALL | ACC | WEEK 13 |
| Virginia | 9-2 | 6-1 | Bye |
| SMU | 8-3 | 6-1 | Beat Louisville 38-6 |
| Pitt | 8-3 | 6-1 | Beat Georgia Tech 42-28 |
| Miami | 9-2 | 5-2 | Beat Virginia Tech 34-17 |
| Georgia Tech | 9-2 | 5-2 | Lost to Pitt 42-28 |
| Duke | 6-5 | 5-2 | Beat North Carolina 32-25 |
ACC tiebreaker rules
Here are the ACC tiebreaker procedures to follow in order to determine who makes the conference championship game, according to the conference's official website:
1. Head-to-head competition between teams.
2. Winning percentage vs. common opponents.
3. Win-percentage vs. common opponents based upon finish (overall conference winning percentage, with ties broken).
4. Combined winning percentage of conference opponents.
5. The tied team with the higher ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games.
6. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the Commissioner or Commissioner's designee.
MORE:Projecting the 2026 College Football Playoff bracket after Week 12
ACC contenders path to the championship game
Virginia (9-2, 6-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Virginia Tech
The Cavaliers clinch a spot in the ACC championship game with a victory against Virginia Tech in Week 14. Remember, Virginia's 35-31 loss to NC State on Sept. 6 was a non-conference game. If Virginia loses, then they would need Pitt and SMU to lose to create a mess of two-loss teams.
SMU (8-3, 6-1)
Remaining schedule: at Cal
The Mustangs beat Louisville 38-6 and be in the ACC championship game in the event of a three-way tie with Virginia and Pitt by virtue of a 2-0 record in common opponents. That would give the Mustangs the edge on the Panthers, who lost to Louisville.
Pitt (8-3, 6-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Miami
The Panthers beat Georgia Tech 42-28, but they need a win against Miami and a loss by either Virginia against Virginia Tech or SMU against Cal to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game.
Miami (9-2, 5-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Pitt
Miami beat Virginia Tech 34-17 in Week 13. The Hurricanes need a win against Pitt and at least one of Virginia or SMU to lose in order to have a shot at the ACC championship game. They also need a NC State victory against North Carolina to have a higher cumulative conference winning percentage than Duke.
Duke (6-5, 5-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Wake Forest
Duke is alive in the race, but they would need a series of upsets to get the ACC championship game and a win against Wake Forest. One sequence would involve Miami beating Pitt, Virginia Tech beating Virginia and Cal beating SMU. That would create a pileup of six two-loss teams in conference play, and the Blue Devils would have a good chance at reaching the title game if North Carolina beats NC State.
Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Georgia
The Yellow Jackets completed their ACC schedule, but the Yellow Jackets need losses SMU, Cal and Virginia and a Miami win against Pitt to have a chance to get back in the ACC championship picture.
ACC common opponents tracker for 2025
Here is a look at the common opponents for all the ACC teams with two losses or less heading into Week 13. We added the cumulative conference winning percentage – the fourth ACC tiebreaker – to show which teams are in the best position.
| OPPONENT | UVA | GT | PITT | SMU | MIAMI | DUKE |
| Boston College | – | W 36-34 | W 48-7 | W 45-13 | – | – |
| Cal | W 31-21 | – | – | Nov. 29 | – | W 45-21 |
| Clemson | – | W 24-21 | – | W 35-24 | – | W 46-45 |
| Duke | W 34-17 | W 27-18 | – | – | – | – |
| Florida State | W 46-38 | – | W 34-31 | – | W 28-22 | – |
| Georgia Tech | – | – | W 42-28 | – | – | L 27-18 |
| Louisville | W 30-27 | – | L 34-27 | W 38-6 | L 24-21 | – |
| Miami | – | – | Nov. 29 | W 26-20 | – | – |
| North Carolina | W 17-16 | – | – | – | – | W 32-25 |
| NC State | – | L 48-36 | W 53-34 | – | W 41-7 | W 45-33 |
| Pitt | – | L 42-28 | – | – | Nov. 29 | – |
| SMU | – | – | – | – | L 26-20 | – |
| Stanford | W 48-20 | – | W 35-20 | W 34-10 | W 42-7 | – |
| Syracuse | – | W 41-16 | W 30-13 | W 31-18 | W 38-10 | W 38-3 |
| Virginia | – | – | – | – | – | L 34-17 |
| Virginia Tech | Nov. 29 | W 35-20 | – | – | W 34-17 | – |
| Wake Forest | L 16-9 | W 30-29 | – | L 13-12 | – | Nov. 29 |
| CUMULATIVE% | 25-34 | 25-32 | 24-36 | 24-35 | 27-32 | 29-29 |
Most likely ACC championship game scenario
There are numerous combinations, and they can be calculated here.
Virginia is in the best position now to be the other team in the field. The Cavaliers should be favored against Virginia Tech. That is the cleanest look for the conference.
SMU should be favored against Cal. The Mustangs have won three straight games and are a hot team at the right time. A loss would open the door for Pitt, and Miami is lurking as the highest-ranked team.
It feels like Virginia and SMU, but we're not going to rule out the winner of the Pitt-Miami game.
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