Wait a minute, could the ACC really go without a team in the College Football Playoff? It is possible that Miami, a team that didn’t qualify for the championship game, has the best chance of representing the conference in the playoffs.
The ACC’s wacky tiebreaker scenarios left the Hurricanes out of Saturday’s title game in Charlotte. At No. 12, they’re the conference’s team highest in the most recent CFP rankings. But No. 17 Virginia will be playing in the ACC championship game for an automatic berth in the 12-team playoff against an unranked Duke team that finished 7-5.
But what if the Wahoos lose? That opens the door for two Group of 5 teams playing in championship games tonight to crash the playoff party in place of a team from the ACC, which placed a team into the first seven CFPs and boasts eight national championships throughout college football history (plus the five Miami won before leaving the Big East). Tonight’s winner of the American conference championship, be it Tulane or North Texas, will get in. And a Duke win would open the door for James Madison should it win the Sun Belt championship tonight.
Watch conference championship games on Fubo (free trial)
Here’s what to college football fans need to know about tonight’s conference championships, including how to watch on TV and streaming, as well as their implications on the College Football Playoff:
What college football games are on today?
Four FBS conference championships will be decided tonight. Here’s the schedule, including start time, TV schedule and streaming info (all times Eastern). Teams are listed with the most recent CFP rankings:
Do the Miami Hurricanes have a chance to make the playoffs?
Theoretically, yes, though a lot would have to happen. Miami finished the regular season 10-2 after losing two games in three weeks midway through the season, first against 8-4 Louisville and then at 8-4 SMU. The Hurricanes are No. 12 in the latest CFP rankings and would put them out of the playoff picture because at least two conference champions — three if BYU win the Big 12 title — will earn automatic bids into the 12-team field.
For Miami to get in, Georgia would have to pulverize No. 9 Alabama in the SEC championship game and Texas Tech must do the same to No. 11 BYU. That would set up Notre Dame and Miami for the last at-large bid, and it might be impossible for the selection committee to ignore the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win over the Irish at that point.
How did Miami not make the ACC championship game?
Miami finished in a five-way tie with Georgia Tech, SMU, Pittsburgh and Duke for second place with a 6-2 record in the ACC. Because of the ACC’s convoluted tiebreaker policy, the Hurricanes needed several things to fall their way in Week 14. Several of them did: They beat Pitt, Cal upset SMU, and North Carolina State beat UNC. With Duke beating Wake Forest, Miami needed Virginia Tech to upset Virginia to punch its ticket to the ACC title game, but the Cavaliers handled the Hokies 27-7, leaving UM to finish third.
As a kicker, the conference’s regular-season winner, Virginia, finished 7-1 in ACC games but lost in Week 2 to fellow ACC team NC State. But because the game was scheduled between the two schools and independently of the ACC’s regular slate, the loss did not count against the Wahoos’ conference record.
Who will play in the ACC championship game? Time, date, how to watch
Miami did not qualify for the ACC championship. Instead, the game will pit 10-2 Virginia, No. 17 in the latest CFP rankings, against 7-5 Duke at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 6 on ABC. Streaming options include Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
How can the ACC be left out of the CFP?
The College Football Playoff guarantees a spot for the five highest-ranked conference champions. At 7-5, Duke is not in the most recent CFP rankings, whereas the Sun Belt’s two title contenders, Tulane and North Texas, both are, along with James Madison in the Sun Belt. If JMU wins tonight and Duke wins Saturday, the ACC won’t have a champion ranked highly enough to qualify for the playoff.
If No. 17 Virginia wins the ACC, they would get a playoff spot.
When is the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC championship game?
Here’s the Saturday college football schedule, including start time, TV schedule and streaming info (all times Eastern). Teams are listed with the most recent CFP rankings:
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What college football games are on tonight? Could the ACC miss CFP?
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
