ACC Championship Picture Clears: Georgia Tech Controls Its Destiny as Final Weekend Nears

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With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, the path to the ACC Championship Game remains intensely competitive, highlighting the depth of the conference. Four teams—Georgia Tech, Virginia, SMU, and Pittsburgh—are all tied with a single conference loss, while Duke and Miami, each with two losses, need significant help to slide into the mix. The upcoming weekend will prove critical in separating the contenders.

The National Picture and Key Rankings

The ACC has a handful of teams ranked nationally, though they still have work to do if the conference is to secure a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff:

Poll	Rank #13 / #14	Rank #15	Rank #19
College Football Playoff	Miami (#13)	Georgia Tech (#15)	Virginia (#19)
AP Top-25	Miami (#14)	Georgia Tech (#15)	Virginia (#19)
Coaches Poll	—	Georgia Tech (#12), Miami (#15)	Virginia (#19)

It is interesting to note that the two-loss Hurricanes are currently ranked ahead of the one-loss Yellow Jackets in the CFP and AP polls. Beyond the polls, the conference boasts seven teams ranked in ESPN’s Football Power Index, led by Miami at #11.

The Championship Game Scenarios

The fate of the top contenders is simplified by head-to-head matchups and bye weeks:

Georgia Tech: If the Yellow Jackets defeat Pittsburgh this weekend, they will punch their ticket to the ACC Championship Game. If they follow that with a win against Georgia next weekend, a possible Top-10 ranking and an at-large Playoff berth could be within reach.
Virginia: The Cavaliers have this weekend off but face Virginia Tech next week. A win by Virginia in their rivalry game will see them secure a spot in the title game.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers have the toughest road ahead, finishing with ranked teams Georgia Tech and Miami. Since making a change at quarterback, the Panthers are 5-1 and desperately need wins in both contests to have a chance.

As of this weekend, eight teams in the league are bowl eligible, following key wins last weekend by California over Louisville and Wake Forest over Virginia, securing their sixth victories.

Weekend Matchup Previews

Friday Night Fight: Florida State (5-5) at NC State (5-5)

A critical matchup, with a bowl spot waiting for the winner. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 26-16-0. FSU quarterback Tomas Castellanos leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards per completion at 15.76 yards and has eight rushing touchdowns this year. For the Wolfpack, running back Hollywood Smothers has four 100-yard rushing games this season, is 11th in the nation in yards per carry at 6.48, and ranks 9th in all-purpose yards with 111 per game.

Division Rivalry: Duke (5-5) at North Carolina (4-6)

The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 63-42-4. Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah is having a stellar season, ranking sixth in the country in completions per game (24.20) and third in passing yards per game (300.7), while boasting a 68% completion percentage. North Carolina’s defense features two strong pass rushers: Melkart Abou Jaoude is fifth in the nation in sacks per game (1.00), and Tyler Thompson is tied for 19th (0.70 per game).

These meaningful conference games will dramatically shape the final week of the season, and by the end of next weekend, the two teams set to play in the league’s title game in early December should finally be confirmed.