The College Football Playoff conversation has been dominated by SEC and Big Ten heavyweights all season. But ESPN’s Joey Galloway is warning those power conferences that they might need to make room for an ACC storyline nobody saw coming. The ACC’s path to multiple bids just got a whole lot more interesting thanks to two programs that have stayed perfect in conference play. Georgia Tech and Virginia are both undefeated in the ACC and trending toward a potential championship game collision that could seriously complicate things for the big boys.​

“If Georgia Tech and Virginia, who are undefeated in ACC play, get there and play undefeated. If they both get there undefeated in the ACC, they play one another for the ACC championship game,” Galloway said on ESPN College Football. “As we talk about it, it’s like there’s 12 cards to pass out, and how many can each conference get? The ACC’s chances become much greater if these two teams continue to win out. They get to the ACC championship game. It’s going to be interesting”. Galloway’s point is pretty straightforward. If both teams keep winning and face off as undefeated ACC programs in Charlotte, the conference champion is basically guaranteed a playoff spot. And the runner-up might have a legitimate case for an at-large bid, too. 

Georgia Tech has been the bigger revelation of the two. They sit at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play while ranked No. 8 nationally. The Yellow Jackets are one of just six remaining undefeated teams in the FBS and have been absolutely destroying people lately, including a 41-16 beatdown of Syracuse this past weekend. Quarterback Haynes King has been phenomenal. Tech is averaging 36.0 points per game while holding opponents to just 20.0 points. Their offense is humming at 7.28 yards per play with 3,780 total yards, and they’re converting a ridiculous 93.94% of their red zone opportunities. 

Virginia’s story might be even more improbable. The Cavaliers are 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the ACC, with their only loss coming to NC State in what was a non-conference game back on September 6. They’ve won six straight games since then. But this past Saturday, they barely survived a thriller against North Carolina in overtime, 17-16. This is Virginia’s best start in 18 years, dating back to 2007, and they’re averaging 203.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the ACC.​​

What makes this whole scenario dangerous for the SEC and Big Ten is that if both teams keep winning, the ACC championship game could feature two ranked, undefeated-in-conference teams playing for an automatic bid. ESPN Analytics currently gives that matchup a 30% chance of happening. The SEC and Big Ten have been operating under the assumption they’d dominate the playoff field. But if the ACC gets both a champion and a quality runner-up from that title game, suddenly those “12 cards” Galloway mentioned have to be distributed differently. If Galloway’s scenario plays out, the SEC and Big Ten better be ready to share the playoff spotlight with an ACC that nobody expected to have this kind of leverage.​

Key cashes on Georgia Tech’s stunning turnaround

The numbers pretty much tell the whole story here. Brent Key just pocketed a $100,000 bonus for getting Georgia Tech to eight wins this season. And, he’s earned every penny of it. His contract extension from December 2024 bumped his salary from $3 million to $4.15 million for the 2025 season, with annual $100,000 raises through 2029, when he’ll be making $4.55 million. 

But the bonus structure is where it gets really interesting, $50,000 for six wins, $100,000 for eight wins (which he just hit), and another $100,000 if they can get to ten wins. And if this team somehow goes all the way and wins a national championship, Key walks away with an $800,000 bonus on top of everything else. That’s Georgia Tech putting their money where their mouth is and showing they believe in what Key’s building.​

What makes this reward feel so justified is the absolute mess Key inherited when he took over midway through 2022. Geoff Collins had driven the program into the ground with a dismal 1-3 start before getting fired. And Key stepped into complete chaos as the interim guy. Since then, he’s gone 18-16 overall, gotten the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back bowl games (winning the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl), and has six victories over Top 25 opponents under his belt. This season’s 8-0 start is Georgia Tech’s best in 59 years, and they’re ranked No. 7 nationally, their highest ranking in 11 years and their highest regular-season ranking in 16 years. He’s completely transformed the culture and expectations at a program that was borderline irrelevant just a couple of years ago.​