Perhaps the ACC won’t be a one-bid conference in the 2026 College Football Playoff.
In the final year of the 12-team playoff, it’s appeared for most of the season that Miami and its high-powered offense would be the only ACC squad to have a real shot at the CFP, assuming the Hurricanes win their conference title. But an unexpected ACC contender has emerged.
After yet another significant blowout win in Week 11, Wake Forest has a real shot to join Miami, Clemson and SMU as the only ACC teams to make the playoff in the 12-team era.
Here’s a look at the Demon Deacons’ updated CFP resume after beating SMU, 49-7, on Saturday.
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Wake Forest CFP resume
| Stat | Wake Forest |
| Record (vs. Ranked Opponents) | 9-1 (1-1), 2nd in ACC |
| SOR | 10th in FBS |
| SP+ | 20.0 (12th in FBS, entering Week 11) |
| FPI | 17.8 (13th in FBS, entering Week 11) |
| Points Per Game | 43.3 (4th in FBS) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 15.9 (12th in FBS) |
| EPA/Play | +0.30 (3rd in FBS) |
On first glance, Wake Forest’s schedule won’t look overly impressive — its lone ranked win this season came against Louisville on Sept. 26, while the Demon Deacons needed double-overtime to beat Purdue and also lost to No. 5 Miami in September.
But from the perspective of “you can only play the team in front of you,” Wake Forest has been simply dominant over the last two months. Since losing to the Hurricanes on Sept. 18, the Demon Deacons are on a seven-game win streak that hasn’t even been close, including:
- 57-3 win over Stanford
- 38-14 win over NC State
- 41-7 win over California
- 51-7 win over Virginia
- 77-0 win over Merrimack
- 49-7 win over SMU
Even without a ranked opponent in that stretch, the fashion in which Wake Forest has beaten its opponents has been enough to put the committee on notice. In the first CFP rankings in Week 10, the Demon Deacons were ranked No. 16. In Week 11, they moved up to No. 13. They’ll have a chance to move up once again after their huge win over SMU on Saturday.
Because Wake Forest is dominating its opponents every week, most advanced stats are a big fan of them — and if Jake Dickert’s one-loss Demon Deacons finish out the season on their hot stretch, it might just be too impressive a run to miss the CFP, even without much of a “signature win” compared to others.
WAKE FOREST HAS OUTSCORED ITS LAST FOUR OPPONENTS 218-21 😳 @WakeFB https://t.co/5BwryrzdQa
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 14, 2026
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Will ACC get two teams in CFP?
In 2024, the ACC sent Clemson and SMU to the inaugural 12-team playoff after the Tigers beat the Mustangs in the conference title game. The committee gave Clemson the No. 12 seed, while SMU was given the No. 11 seed after going 11-1 in the regular season. In 2025, only the ACC champion, Miami, made the field as the No. 10 seed.
At this point, it appears the only way the ACC will be a two-bid league in 2026 is if Wake Forest can finish its season strong. The Demon Deacons have certainly put themselves on the playoff radar lately with their blowout wins, but considering their lighter schedule, it may take a strong performance in the ACC Championship Game against Miami — whether a win or closer loss — to make the CFP over teams like Tennessee, Texas Tech, Kentucky, BYU, LSU and more.
Right now, Wake Forest appears to be right on the bubble of the playoff. Because of its lighter strength of schedule, even with one regular-season loss, the team may need a bit of help from the other at-large contenders, unless the Demon Deacons can secure themself an automatic bid by stunning Miami in the ACC Championship.
GIO LOPEZ DROPS IT IN THE BUCKET TO CARLOS HERNANDEZ ⚡️ RANK WAKE FOREST IN THE TOP 8. https://t.co/XZWk1Jqr4A
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) November 14, 2026
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Wake Forest remaining schedule
- Nov. 21: at Georgia Tech
- Nov. 28: vs. Duke
The Demon Deacons have a clear path to an 11-1 regular-season and ACC title matchup against Miami.
They’ll travel to face a 3-7 Georgia Tech team in Week 12, though the Yellow Jackets will be coming off a win over Clemson. To wrap up the regular season, Wake Forest will host Duke, which is now 7-3 after falling to Miami on Saturday.
Nothing’s guaranteed, but if Wake Forest continues dominating as it has recently, there’s a path to an unexpected CFP spot.
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