ACC Football: Looking at the Conference Championship Scenarios Heading Into Week 13
There are two weeks left to go in the 2024 College Football Regular Season and the ACC is down to three teams in its conference title race. SMU, Miami, and Clemson are the only teams with a chance to win the league. Clemson wrapped up its ACC schedule last week with a win over Pitt and now is awaiting the results of SMU and Miami's remaining games.
SMU can clinch a spot in the ACC Championship with a win over Virginia this weekend. The Mustangs are favored in Charlottesville vs the Cavaliers, but can they handle the expectations? Miami cannot clinch this Saturday vs Wake Forest, but they control their own destiny and will have to beat the Demon Deacons on Saturday and Syracuse next weekend. Clemson clinches a spot if Miami were to lose to either Wake Forest or Syracuse or if SMU loses its last two ACC games vs Virginia and Cal. There is a chance that we could see the ACC Championship set if SMU beats Virginia on the road and Wake Forest pulls a stunning upset vs Miami. Likely? Probably not, but there is a small chance. The most likely scenario if the point spreads are to be believed is that SMU clinches their spot in the title game this weekend and the Miami vs Syracuse game next Saturday is the biggest game in the conference.
Virginia Tech has long been out of the conference race, but they are still hopeful that they can find a way to make a bowl game. Our own RJ Schaefer previewed tomorrow's matchup with Duke:
"Duke has actually found a significant amount of success in their first year under Diaz’s tutelage. The Blue Devils are 7-3 on the season with a 3-3 record in the conference, being dealt a fairly easy schedule. Duke’s wins are against Elon, Northwestern, UConn, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina, Florida State, and NC State.
The Blue Devils thrive on chaos defensively, and held the explosive SMU offense to just 21 points in regulation, even though the game finished with a 28-27 loss. In a different reality where Duke beats SMU, the Hokies could be ranked as their only losses are against Miami and Georgia Tech.
Virginia Tech has been great defensively this year as well. Defensive coordinator Chris Marve has lead Powell-Ryland to thirteen sacks on the season, good for second in the nation. Tom Pelissero highlighted Marve as a possible candidate for an NFL job. He’s one of the best young coordinators in college football, and he could play a great role in this game if the Hokies’ do limit Maalik Murphy’s effort at quarterback for Duke.
The Hokies’ bout against the Blue Devils will kick off at 8 PM on the ACC Network."
Here's how we think Virginia Tech's matchup against Duke will go.
Jackson Caudell (Publisher and Lead Editor), 6-4 record this year: Duke 21-17
Kahlil McCuller (Writer), 6-4 record this year: Virginia Tech 28-24
Connor Mardian (Writer), 5-5 record this year: Duke 28-25
RJ Schafer (Writer), 8-2 record this year: Virginia Tech 23-17
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech vs Duke: Final Score Predictions For Saturday's Game
Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Reveal Uniform Combination For Matchup With Duke
Virginia Tech Football: Hokies DC Mentioned as Potential Candidate for NFL Job
Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell