Who wants to win the ACC?
That’s a multiple-choice question with six possible answers with just two weeks left in the regular season. Several teams are still in contention to make the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Dec. 6.
LIVE: Updated college football polls after Week 12
Five ACC teams were ranked in the second set of College Football Playoff rankings, including No. 15 Miami, No. 16 Georgia Tech, No. 19 Virginia, No. 20 Louisville and No. 22 Pitt. SMU and Duke had hopes for an automatic berth.
Week 12 added more chaos. Clemson beat Louisville 20-19, which gave the Cardinals a third conference loss. Georgia Tech rallied to beat Boston College 36-34, and Virginia beat Duke 34-17.
The Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers are the best bets as a result, but there is still time for more chaos. Here is a closer look at the ACC race:
ACC football standings 2025
The ACC has six teams with two conference losses or less heading into Week 13. Here is a closer look at those standings:
| SCHOOL | OVERALL | ACC | WEEK 12 |
| Georgia Tech | 9-1 | 6-1 | Beat Boston College 36-34 |
| Virginia | 9-2 | 6-1 | Beat Duke 34-17 |
| Pitt | 7-2 | 5-1 | Lost to Notre Dame 37-15 |
| SMU | 7-3 | 5-1 | Bye |
| Miami | 8-2 | 4-2 | Beat NC State 41-7 |
| Duke | 5-5 | 4-2 | Lost to Virginia 34-17 |
ACC tiebreaker rules
Here are the ACC tiebreaker procedures to follow in order to determine who makes the conference championship game, according to the conference’s official website:
1. Head-to-head competition between teams.
2. Winning percentage vs. common opponents.
3. Win-percentage vs. common opponents based upon finish (overall conference winning percentage, with ties broken).
4. Combined winning percentage of conference opponents.
5. The tied team with the higher ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games.
6. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the Commissioner or Commissioner’s designee.
MORE: Projecting the 2026 College Football Playoff bracket after Week 12
ACC contenders path to the championship game
Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Pitt, vs. Georgia
The Yellow Jackets beat Boston College 36-34 in Week 12. Georgia Tech can clinch a berth in the ACC championship berth with a victory against Pitt in Week 13. There is no scenario where Georgia Tech would be third in a three-way tie of 7-1 teams.
Virginia (9-2, 6-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Virginia Tech
The Cavaliers are a virtual lock for the ACC championship game with a victory against Virginia Tech in the season finale. There is a scenario where it could possibly lose a three-way tie with Georgia Tech and SMU depending on opponents’ cumulative conference winning percentage, but most scenarios favor the Cavaliers. Remember, Virginia’s 35-31 loss to NC State on Sept. 6 was a non-conference game.
Pitt (7-3, 5-1)
Remaining schedule: at Georgia Tech, vs. Miami
Pitt lost 37-15 to Notre Dame on Saturday. The Panthers, however, can still finish 7-1 in ACC play with victories against Georgia Tech and Miami the next two weeks. Pitt loses a three-way tie with SMU and Virginia, so they need either SMU or Virginia to lose one more game in conference play.
SMU (7-3, 5-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Louisville, at Cal
The Mustangs need to win out, and the combination of a Pitt victory against Georgia Tech and a Miami victory against Pitt would be the cleanest path to a second straight trip to Charlotte. SMU would likely lose a three-way tie at 7-1 with Georgia Tech and Virginia, but it would be in with a three-way tie with Pitt and Virginia.
Miami (8-2, 4-2)
Remaining schedule: at Virginia Tech, vs. Pitt
The Hurricanes aren’t dead yet, but they need a two-loss pileup in the conference standings. Miami needs to win out, and they need Pitt to beat Georgia Tech before their head-to-head matchup with the Panthers. A North Carolina victory against Duke and a Louisville win against SMU would help.
Duke (5-5, 4-2)
Remaining schedule: at North Carolina, vs. Wake Forest
How could a five-loss team still be in the mix? If Pitt beats Georgia Tech and loses to Miami, and Louisville beats SMU, then the Blue Devils would have a chance as the highest-ranked two-loss team.
ACC common opponents tracker for 2025
Here is a look at the common opponents for all the ACC teams with two losses or less. We added the cumulative conference winning percentage – the fourth ACC tiebreaker – to show which teams are in the best position heading into Week 12.
| OPPONENT | UVA | GT | PITT | SMU | DUKE | MIAMI |
| Boston College | – | W 36-34 | W 48-7 | W 45-13 | – | – |
| Cal | W 31-21 | – | – | Nov. 29 | W 45-21 | – |
| Clemson | – | W 24-21 | – | W 35-24 | W 46-45 | – |
| Duke | W 34-17 | W 27-18 | – | – | – | – |
| Florida State | W 46-38 | – | W 34-31 | – | – | W 28-22 |
| Georgia Tech | – | – | Nov. 22 | – | L 27-18 | – |
| Louisville | W 30-27 | – | L 34-27 | Nov. 22 | – | L 24-21 |
| Miami | – | – | Nov. 29 | W 26-20 | – | – |
| North Carolina | W 17-16 | – | – | – | Nov. 22 | – |
| NC State | – | L 48-36 | W 53-34 | – | W 45-33 | W 41-7 |
| Pitt | – | Nov. 22 | – | – | – | Nov. 29 |
| SMU | – | – | – | – | – | L 26-20 |
| Stanford | W 48-20 | – | W 35-20 | W 34-10 | – | W 42-7 |
| Syracuse | – | W 41-16 | W 30-13 | W 31-18 | W 38-3 | W 38-10 |
| Virginia | – | – | – | – | L 34-17 | – |
| Virginia Tech | Nov. 29 | W 35-20 | – | – | – | Nov. 22 |
| Wake Forest | L 16-9 | W 30-29 | – | L 13-12 | Nov. 29 | – |
| CUMALATIVE % | 23-29 | 22-31 | 21-33 | 22-33 | 26-28 | 23-29 |
Most likely ACC championship game scenario
There are numerous combinations, and they can be calculated here.
Georgia Tech can end the drama with a victory against Pitt. That would get the ACC their most consistent team in the regular season in Charlotte.
Virginia is in the best position now to be the other team in the field. The Cavaliers should be favored against Virginia Tech. That is the cleanest look for the conference.
Pitt, SMU and Miami also are in the mix, but they need help. The fact the Blue Devils are somehow still in play speaks to the wild conference race.
For now, we’ll go with Georgia Tech and Virginia on Dec. 6.
