Pitt’s upset win over Georgia Tech pushes ACC to brink of College Football Playoff doomsday scenario

The ACC’s College Football Playoff doomsday scenario is taking shape following Pittsburgh’s 42-28 win at No. 16 Georgia Tech on Saturday night, which eliminated the Yellow Jackets from title contention.

Despite No. 13 Miami’s victory at Virginia Tech, SMU’s 32-point blowout of Louisville and Duke’s win at North Carolina ended the Hurricanes’ shot at a conference championship. That leaves just three teams vying for two spots in the Dec. 6 ACC Championship in Charlotte: No. 19 Virginia, Pittsburgh and SMU.

The problem in the playoff discussion? Only Virginia is ranked, while red-hot Group of Five squads Tulane (9-2) and James Madison (10-1) continue climbing in the committee’s eyes. Both conference frontrunners won on Saturday and control their own destinies.

Virginia will clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Virginia Tech. SMU can get in with a win over Cal. Pittsburgh will reach Charlotte if it beats Miami and either Virginia or SMU loses.

In other words, the Hokies have become agents of chaos in the ACC. Even if Pitt or SMU wins the league, there’s no guarantee either will be ranked ahead of the Group of Five champions two weeks from now.

ACC standings after Week 13

If you’re one of those crazies who roots for a conference in the playoff after your preferred team is excluded, here’s what ACC fans need to hope happens over the next two weekends to all but guarantee entry: 

• Virginia wins out and takes the ACC crown — OR — James Madison suffers an unexpected loss.

Anything happening outside of those two possibilities leaves everything up to the committee, whose goal is to put the 12 “best teams” in the playoff and not the most deserving. And with the stipulation five of those bids are given as auto-conference champions, a potentially unranked winner of the ACC isn’t going to have much of a say.

Keep an eye on Tuesday night’s rankings. Where SMU or Pittsburgh land in relation to various Group of Five options is extremely important moving forward.