With the College Football Playoff picture crystallizing, the ACC is facing the grim possibility of being left out entirely, prompting the conference to make an unprecedented move. Miami, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Duke are the teams that are standing at the crossroads of playoff qualification after yesterday’s results. Duke is 8-5 on the season and ranked lower than G-5 conference winners Tulane and James Madison. Whereas Miami is ranked 12th, and moving up under rank 10, making the playoffs seems unlikely. But ACC has now taken the matter into its own hands.

According to a report, the ACC has sent an official document making a case for both Miami and Duke to be included in the 12-team bracket. “The ACC sent documentation to the CFB Playoff committee late Saturday arguing for both Miami and Duke to get into the playoff,” reported CaneSport’s X account. Miami’s playoff case has been hotly debated for some time now, but Duke has now emerged as an unlikely contender.

Miami has a similar record to Notre Dame, 10-2. Not to mention Notre Dame is ahead of the Hurricanes, whom they defeated 27-24. Other wins against Syracuse, FSU, Florida, and USF also bolster their resume. Even on the injury front, the Hurricanes come with a clean bill of health. Miami then absolutely deserves to be ahead of Notre Dame within the 12-team bracket.

“Miami presents a profile built on dependable production, steady defense, and a strong showing against ranked opponents. The team’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame, combined with consistent efficiency on both sides of the ball, gives them a straightforward argument for consideration,” said Yahoo Sports’ Jaron Spror. The same can’t be said about Duke.

Duke went against a 10-win Virginia, defeating the team 27-20. We didn’t see a blowout win like Miami did against Stanford or Boston College. Nor does the team have the record to back its case. The Blue Devils have lost against a G-5 Tulane, not to mention losses against Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Virginia in the regular season discredit their case. Even in a head-to-head record, Tulane would get an automatic bid. Despite the ACC’s eleventh-hour push for both teams, the final CFP rankings revealed a split decision for the conference.

Final College Football Playoff rankings announced

Indiana has overtaken Ohio State after a 13-0 season and sits at the top. Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech follow next, all getting automatic byes. At 5th place is Oregon, Ole Miss is without Lane Kiffin, is 6th, Texas A&M is next, and Oklahoma remains intact at 8th ever since Week 13. After this, things get tricky.

Alabama, which lost its SEC title game against Georgia in a blowout 7-28 loss, is ranked 9th officially entering the CFP bracket. Officially, at the 10th position (drumrolls please) is Miami, and it pushes a 10-2 Notre Dame out. The other two spots went to G-5 teams Tulane and James Madison, who earned automatic bids. So, this would be the first time in history that two G-5 teams are playing the playoffs and will face off against their respective teams in the first round.

James Madison will face Oregon on December 20th, whereas Tulane will go against Ole Miss on the same day. Miami’s matchup is against a seventh-ranked Texas A&M, and Alabama will face Oklahoma on the road in Norman on December 19th. All in all, we are in for a treat this season, and while first-round matchups like Oregon’s and Ole Miss’ may look easy. Both G-5 teams are coming off 12 and 13-win seasons and have the quality to pull off an upset, however slim that might be.

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