This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/empurrfekt on 2024-10-27 20:53:26+00:00.
Both the ACC and Big 10 have three teams undefeated in conference play that do not play each other. These six teams could wind up in 3-way ties decided by a tie-breaker they have no control over. With no head-to-head games and identical records against common opponents, these ties would be broken based on the conference records of conference opponents. Who is that most likely to favor?
In the ACC, all 3 teams play FSU and Lousiville. That leaves 6 opponents to consider for each team:
| Team | Opponents | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson | NC State, Stanford, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh | 12-18 |
| Miami | Virginia Tech, Cal, Duke, Gerogia Tech, Wake Forest, Syracuse | 10-20 |
| SMU | Stanford, Duke, Pittsburgh, BC, Virginia, Cal | 9-22 |
These records include necessary losses teams would take for Clemson, Miami, and SMU to reach 8-0. Clemson currently has the lead here, with Miami slightly ahead of SMU for the second spot in the CCG, but it’s still close enough for any team to miss out through no fault of their own.
No I’m not ignoring Pittsburgh. Since Pitt plays both Clemson and SMU, Pitt can guarantee being one of no more than 2 undefeated teams in ACC play.
The Big 10 has slightly less volatility as the three teams have 5 common opponents in Maryland, Ohio St., Purdue, UCLA, and Washington. That leaves only 4 opponents to consider for each team.
| Team | Opponents | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | Northwestern, Nebraska, Michigan St., Michigan | 8-15 |
| Oregon | Michigan St., Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin | 11-15 |
| Penn St. | Illinois, USC, Wisconsin, Minnesota | 10-14 |
As with the ACC, these records include necessary losses teams would take for Indiana, Oregon, and Penn St. to reach 9-0. It doesn’t look good for Indiana, but it’s also close enough in the Big 10 for any team to miss out.
Are either of these likely to happen? No. Two of the ACC schools still have to play Pitt. Two of the B1G schools still have to play Ohio St. And it’s not like any of the other games are guaranteed wins either (all the ACC schools have already played FSU). Dang. I told myself I was going to be better than that and not take the cheap shot. But, if you’re rooting for any of these schools, root for teams on their schedule and against teams on the others’. You never know what game could matter. Duke vs Wake Forest on the last weekend of the season could decide whether its Clemson or SMU playing Miami in the ACC championship game.