How 3 ACC Teams Could Make College Football Playoff
11/27/2024 01:37 PM
Before the season began, fans likely assumed the SEC and Big Ten would hog the at-large bids for the first 12-team College Football Playoff. However, the ACC could be well-represented.
The ACC enters the regular season's final weekend with three top-12 teams. Miami (6), SMU (9), and Clemson (12) each climbed multiple spots up Tuesday's latest CFP rankings.
On Wednesday's Get Up, ESPN reporter Heather Dinich explained that a path remains for all three ACC programs to make the playoffs.
"It could be a two or a three-bid league," Dinich said of the ACC. "Now the fact that the committee has two teams in its top 10 with Miami and SMU increases the chances that the loser of that championship game is still in the College Football Playoff."
At the moment, Clemson is the first team left off the bracket. However, the Tigers could potentially escape the bubble by improving to 10-2 with a victory over No. 15 South Carolina this Saturday.
"If they get a win against South Carolina, then they can potentially bump up ahead of Boise State," Dinich said. "That's what they would need to happen because if they stay in that 12th spot, they would be out of the College Football Playoff for that fifth-highest-ranked conference champion."
Paul Finebaum said he'd put Clemson into the CFP if Dabo Swinney's squad wins the Palmetto Bowl.
"Beating South Carolina really matters. That's an unsung team," Finebaum said. "That team lost to Alabama in the middle of the season and has played brilliantly since. That's a significant win, and I think it would be enough to get [Clemson] very close to the playoff."
Clemson could still play for the ACC title if Miami loses to Syracuse. Falling to the Orange could jeopardize the Hurricanes' CFP case, and SMU probably can't afford a loss to the 6-5 California Golden Bears.
Meanwhile, Dinich warned that the SEC is in "big trouble." Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee are the only three teams that would currently make the CFP, and Texas A&M could wreak significant havoc by beating the Longhorns and earning a spot in the SEC Championship Game with three losses.
Related: Heather Dinich On Alabama's CFP Chances: 'They Need A Prayer'
