College Football Playoff bracket for conference championship week: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams

The ACC championship game has once again become a focal point of college football chaos. Virginia (10-2, 7-1) secured its place in the ACC championship by defeating Virginia Tech 27-7. Despite two losses, including a non-conference one to NC State, Virginia will face Duke (7-5, 6-2) in the title game. Duke's inclusion was secured after Cal defeated SMU 38-35, which resulted in Duke winning a five-team tiebreaker for second place in the conference standings.

The ACC's chances in the College Football Playoff (CFP) remain uncertain. If Virginia beats Duke and Miami wins a head-to-head debate with Notre Dame, the ACC might secure two CFP spots. However, if Duke wins, the ACC risks being excluded from the CFP, as the five highest-ranked conference champions are prioritized. The American Conference champion, either Tulane or North Texas, and potentially the Sun Belt champion James Madison, are in