The ACC has two teams ranked among the top 13 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and there's a realistic scenario in which both reach the postseason.
With No. 7 Miami and No. 13 Wake Forest controlling their paths to the conference championship, the ACC could be positioning itself for something it has accomplished only once since the playoff expanded to 12 teams: sending two programs to compete for a national championship.
Miami (8-1, 6-0 ACC) and Wake Forest (8-1, 5-1) have identical overall records, with the Hurricanes' 33-20 victory in Winston-Salem on Sept. 18 accounting for the Demon Deacons' only loss.
Both teams also have six Power Four victories and four true road wins against Power Four opponents. Miami ranks No. 7 in the CFP standings after its loss to Notre Dame, while Wake Forest climbed three spots to No. 13 following its sixth consecutive victory.
The question now is whether the ACC can turn those two strong resumes into multiple playoff berths. The answer depends on what happens over the next three weeks.
Wake Forest visits SMU on Saturday before traveling to Georgia Tech on Nov. 21 and hosting Duke on Nov. 28. Three victories would leave the Demon Deacons at 11-1 overall and 8-1 in conference play, guaranteeing them a spot in Charlotte. Miami has Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College remaining, all at Hard Rock Stadium. Winning those games would give the Hurricanes an 11-1 record and a perfect 9-0 mark in ACC play.
That would set up a rematch between two 11-win teams in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 5, with two different paths to a potential two-bid conference. The first possibility would have Miami defeating Wake Forest for a second time.
In that scenario, the Hurricanes would finish 12-1, win their first ACC championship and automatically qualify for the playoff. Wake Forest would fall to 11-2, with both losses coming against Miami. The Demon Deacons would have a reasonable argument for an at-large berth, although their current position outside the top 12 presents a problem. Wake Forest would need to improve its ranking over the next three weeks to withstand another loss on championship weekend.
The second possibility might give the ACC an even stronger argument. If Wake Forest defeats Miami in Charlotte, the Demon Deacons would finish 12-1 and claim the conference's automatic berth. Miami would fall to 11-2, with losses to No. 5 Notre Dame and the ACC champion.
The Hurricanes would also have split the games against Wake Forest, along with wins against Clemson and the rest of their ACC schedule. That resume could be strong enough to survive a conference championship loss and secure an at-large selection.
But Wake Forest isn't the ACC's only alternative as SMU (7-2, 5-2 ACC) still has an opportunity to enter the playoff discussion. The Mustangs host Wake Forest on Saturday before visiting No. 5 Notre Dame and Stanford.
Winning all three games would put SMU at 10-2, with victories over two currently ranked opponents. That would give the Mustangs a much stronger resume, although they would still need help to reach the ACC Championship Game and are currently unranked in the latest CFP rankings.
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