ESPN outlines 'break glass in case of emergency' scenario for ACC in College Football Playoff race

On ESPN’s CFP Rankings Show on Tuesday night, the Worldwide Leader spent some time breaking down various College Football Playoff scenarios, including what could be a fascinating finish in the ACC.

Because of the league’s unbalanced schedules, there’s a chance three different teams win out.

“I think we’ve got a really interesting scenario bubbling up in the ACC,” ESPN’s Greg McElroy said. “I think Miami, we all kind of know who they are. They’re looking really good. They’re undefeated. But what about Clemson and then, secondarily, SMU?”

The remaining schedules for both Clemson and SMU are quite navigable. Check them out below.

Clemson Tigers
Louisville
@ Virginia Tech
@ Pittsburgh
The Citadel
South Carolina

SMU Mustangs
@ Duke
Pittsburgh
Boston College
@ Virginia
California

McElroy broke down what he hopes to see as the College Football Playoff picture continues to unfold.

“I want to see win out right now for Clemson, and then I want to see win out for SMU, because both those teams could be 11-1 with losses in the non-conference,” McElroy said.

Using ESPN’s Playoff Predictor, host Rece Davis input those scenarios and noted that meant Clemson “almost certainly” would be the team finding itself in the ACC title game. SMU would be left out.

But that might not even be bad news for SMU when it comes to the College Football Playoff.

“It’s crazy to think, Rece, that we could have a scenario where you have three undefeated ACC teams with Miami, Clemson and SMU, none of which play each other,” McElroy said. “So the fact that they all could be undefeated, you might have an SMU team, like this points out, that wins all their games, still doesn’t get to the ACC Championship Game, and then finds a scenario where they get in as an at-large ahead of the team that beat them in the tie-breaker, because the team that beat them in the tie-breaker, in this particular case Clemson, loses to Miami, which gives them the second loss, which bounces them out.”

Confused yet? That’s OK. Most scenarios have a way of playing themselves out before we get to that level of craziness in the College Football Playoff.

Still, ESPN isn’t wrong for pointing it out. It’s a definite possibility given the schedules.

“So we are looking at a potential break glass in case of emergency situation in the ACC as it relates to the conference championship and the possibility of an at-large team sitting at home,” McElroy said.