Could the ACC Place Three Teams In the College Football Playoffs?

With the way the ACC season has unfolded, it may come as a surprise that the conference may actually get two (or more) teams in the College Football Playoffs. Let’s predict how it could unfold and explain the rationale behind it by looking at the College Football Playoff ranking predictions ahead of Week 14.

College Football Playoff Ranking Predictions In the ACC

So here’s how it could work, with these ACC teams ranked in the top 25 ahead of Week 14’s action.

• No. 6 — Miami Hurricanes
• No. 10 — SMU Mustangs
• No. 12 — Clemson Tigers

MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor

So in our ranking predictions below, the ACC could actually land a handful of teams with shots at making the Playoffs if some things go right and break their way. Right now, the only guarantee, however, is the winner of the ACC Championship Game makes it.

Here’s how I would project and predict the committee’s next ranking should and could look like.

1. Oregon Ducks (–)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (–)
3. Texas Longhorns (–)
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1)
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (-1)
6. Miami Hurricanes (+2)
7. Georgia Bulldogs (+3)
8. Tennessee Volunteers (+3)
9. Indiana Hoosiers (-4)
10. SMU Mustangs (+3)
11. Boise State Broncos (+1)
12. Clemson Tigers (+5)
13. South Carolina Gamecocks (+5)
14. Alabama Crimson Tide (-7)
15. Arizona State Sun Devils (+6)
16. Ole Miss Rebels (-7)
17. Iowa State Cyclones (+5)
18. Texas A&M Aggies (-3)
19. Tulane Green Wave (+1)
20. UNLV Rebels (+4)
21. Missouri Tigers (+2)
22. Illinois Fighting Illini (+3)
23. BYU Cougars (-9)
24. Colorado Buffalos (-8)
25. Kansas State Wildcats (NR)

* these are my predictions based on how I would rank the teams following last week’s CFP committee rankings, so working within the confines of not dropping teams too much or moving teams up too much

In the scenario where the ACC puts more than one team in the playoffs, it all would come down to Clemson. But in reality, they’d have to not play in the ACC Championship Game to guarantee their spot.

With a win against South Carolina, the Tigers would likely get the benefit of sliding into the last at-large spot for the playoff rankings with the multitude of SEC teams taking losses last week.

MORE: ACC Championship Game Scenarios Ahead of Week 14

If the ACC wants to get three teams in, some parody is needed. SMU and Miami would need to win in Week 14, setting up for a Miami-SMU ACC Championship Game. In that instance, you’d have to expect the lower seed to win to give any chance for a team coming off a loss to make it.

That would push Clemson (if they beat South Carolina) into an at-large bid, SMU into the conference champion spot, and Miami as a two-loss at-large team as well.

It’s improbable, but who knows how the committee will weigh the conference champion losers this time around. Not to mention, if a two-loss Miami team is right there with some three-loss SEC teams who didn’t even compete for their conference, it’d be hard not to put the ‘Canes in.

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