ACC Championship Game scenarios: Path to finalize the title game

The ACC title race is down to the wire, and down to a few teams. And it’ll come down to one result to determine if Miami or Clemson faces SMU in the title game.

The Mustangs, undefeated in conference play in Year 1 in the ACC, have already clinched a spot in the championship game. And the Hurricanes are in the drivers seat for their postseason destiny.

See how the title race can shake out.

Miami

Loss: at Georgia Tech, 28-23
Week 14 game: at Syracuse

Miami looked to be in cruise control to win the ACC until the Yellowjackets upset the apple cart, and gave the Mustangs a leg up. But Miami still controls its destiny for the ACC title game and, therefore, a College Football Playoff bid.

All Miami needs to do is get a win at Syracuse, though that’s hardly been a straightforward task this season. At 8-3, Syracuse boasts the second-leading passer in the country in Kyle McCord. He’s just behind Cam Ward, Miami’s quarterback.

Clemson

Losses: vs. Georgia, 34-3; vs. Louisville 33-21
Week 14 game: vs. South Carolina

Clemson is at the mercy of whatever result happens in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Tigers don’t have a head-to-head result with Miami and are currently behind on a tiebreaker.

Thus, Clemson needs the Hurricanes to take a second conference loss and slid behind the Tigers in the standings. And depending on the result against the Gamecocks, an ACC title could be Clemson’s best — or only — path into the CFP.

And awaiting either the Hurricanes or Tigers are the Mustangs, which have rolled through the conference and haven’t lost since Sept. 6, a three-point road loss to BYU. With a win over Cal on Saturday, the Mustangs will roll to 8-0 in Year 1 in the ACC.

And no matter who SMU faces in the ACC title game, any loser — Clemson, Miami or SMU — would likely have a difficult case to make as a CFP at-large.