ACC championship scenarios, explained: How Miami, others can reach 2025 title game
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ACC championship scenarios, explained: How Miami, others can reach 2025 title game originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The ACC remains the wildest conference race of all in the College Football Playoff race.
There are bound to be more twists in Week 14. Here is a closer look at the ACC championship race, the scenarios, tiebreakers and common opponents for each school. There are more than a handful of wild combinations that could decide who plays in Charlotte.
MORE WEEK 14 SCENARIOS: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Group of 5
ACC championship scenarios 2025
Four teams are still in the ACC championship game picture. A look at their paths to the conference championship game:
Virginia (9-2, 6-1)
– Virginia clinches a spot in the ACC championship game with a victory against Virginia Tech. It can also advance with an SMU loss and a North Carolina win on Saturday.
– Virginia's 35-31 loss to NC State on Sept. 6 does not count as a conference game.
SMU (8-3, 6-1)
– SMU clinches a spot in the ACC championship game with a win over Cal. A three-way tie with Virginia and Pitt would work in SMU's favor. A three-way tie with SMU and Pitt would favor the Cavaliers and Mustangs because the Panthers have a common opponent loss to Louisville.
Miami (10-2, 6-2)
– A Virginia loss against Virginia Tech AND a SMU loss against Cal AND a North Carolina loss against NC State.
Duke (7-5, 6-2)
– Duke needs an SMU loss to Cal.
– The Blue Devils also would make the ACC championship game with a Virginia loss to Virginia Tech AND a win by NC State against North Carolina.
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.
ACC common opponents tracker for 2025
| 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 |
| RECORD | 25-34 | 25-32 | 24-36 | 24-35 | 27-32 | 29-29 |
| % | .423 | .439 | .400 | .406 | .457 | .500 |
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