Unranked Pitt ends No. 2 Miami's undefeated season

No chance for two ACC playoff teams, but conference’s risk of missing the four-team field reemerges

When Miami ran onto Heinz Field on Friday afternoon, the Atlantic Coast Conference appeared to be cruising toward another College Football Playoff spot — if not two. With one-loss Clemson and undefeated Miami set to meet in next weekend’s conference title game, the (unlikely) two-team scenario still had a pulse. That farfetched possibility flatlined in Pittsburgh.

The conference’s playoff outlook remains strong — two one-loss, top-10 teams are set to square off in seven days, after all — but Pitt’s upset throws a minor wrench into the equation.

First, Clemson still needs to get past No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday. A Tigers loss to their intrastate rival would all but eliminate their own playoff hopes, and either end Miami’s with another ACC championship win or call the Hurricanes’ strength of record into question if they win their first ACC title. The Hurricanes’ best wins at the moment are against a three-loss Virginia Tech team and a two-loss Notre Dame squad limping down the stretch.

With the likes of Georgia, Auburn, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Ohio State hanging around the top 10 — not to mention undefeated Alabama — the ACC is not yet outright guaranteed a spot. Perhaps the worst-case scenario for John Swofford’s league: What happens if Georgia takes down Alabama in the SEC Championship? Will the committee really take one-loss Miami (dropped by 4-7 Pitt) over one-loss Alabama (dropped by CFP participant Georgia)?

Conference titles have a way of boosting resumes, but the Pitt-Miami result was far from beneficial for the ACC.

Charles LeClaire

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