Nicole Auerbach, the lead college football analyst and writer for NBC Sports, stated, "If I'm the ACC...I override the tiebreakers and put Miami in the ACC championship game against Virginia." Auerbach posted her take to her X account before California upset SMU on Saturday night.
California's 38-35 win over SMU created a five-way tie for second place in the ACC. Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh and SMU finished in a tie for second place in the ACC with six wins and two losses in conference games.
Duke won the tiebreaker because "its conference opponents had the highest combined win percentage." Duke beat North Carolina State, Syracuse, California, Clemson, North Carolina and Wake Forest in ACC games. Georgia Tech and Virginia gave Duke its two conference losses.
There is a strong likelihood if Duke beats Virginia in the ACC Championship game on Saturday that the conference will not have a representative in the College Football Playoff. The American Athletic Conference Championship Game winner between North Texas and Tulane will likely earn on CFP berth.
This might be an unpopular take ... but if I'm the ACC and Cal upsets SMU, I override the tiebreakers and put Miami in the ACC championship game against Virginia.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 30, 2025
How CFP Automatic berths are determined
The five highest-ranked conference champions receive CFP berths. If Duke wins the ACC, only conference champions from the American Athletic Conference, if it's Tulane, Big XII, Big 10 and SEC would be guaranteed a champion in the rankings. North Texas would likely be ranked if it beats Tulane in the ACC title game.
James Madison is 19th in the Week 15 Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls. James Madison could be in the College Football Playoff rankings that are released on Tuesday. Duke will not be in the CFP rankings on Tuesday.
Miami playing in the ACC Championship game would save the ACC from the potential embarrassment of being completely shut out of the CFP. In 2024, the ACC missed out on a first round by to Mountain West Champion, Boise State and was the only Power Four conference without a team in the CFP quarterfinals.
Miami enters conference championship weekend hoping for an at-large berth in the CFP. Virginia could pass Michigan in the CFP after Ohio State beat the Wolverines on Saturday. Miami is the highest-ranked ACC at 12th nationally in the CFP rankings last week.