ACC Releases 'What-If' Scenario for Clemson-Notre Dame Championship Game

Notre Dame will be declared the ACC winner because it leads in the standings, Associated Press writer Ralph D. Russo reported, if neither the Irish or Clemson can play the game.

Anything is possible in 2020, and a Sunday announcement from the ACC reflects just that. 

After all, you must have a contingency plan for every situation, so if the conference's championship game scheduled for Saturday between No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Clemson can't be played for any reason, the league knows how a champion will be determined. 

Notre Dame will be declared the ACC winner because it leads in the standings, Associated Press writer Ralph D. Russo reported. The Irish beat Clemson 47-40 in double overtime on Nov. 7.

From the ACC, if either Notre Dame or Clemson cannot play in the championship game, the game is a no contest and Notre Dame would be crowned champion by virtue of the regular-season standings.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 13, 2020

COVID-19 has reshaped college football and this entire conference in 2020. Notre Dame has never been a full-fledged member of a league until this season, so this would be its first ACC championship if neither team could play Saturday. 

This isn't a likely scenario, though. This is just how the ACC will crown a champion. Neither program has had COVID-19 issues in recent weeks. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said no player has tested positive since the one backup offensive lineman who did right before the FSU game, which led the Seminoles to call that game off on Nov. 21. 

However, this does breed a critical question: Why would Notre Dame play the game and risk getting knocked out of College Football Playoff's top-4 rankings?