The One Wacky Scenario for Miami to Reach the ACC Championship Game
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As Saturday showed, the ACC is a mess. However, it is a wacky mess that is starting to favor the No. 18 Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC).
The Hurricanes are coming off a victory over the Fran Brown-led Syracuse Orange, while also introducing new wrinkles into their offense. It was clear that they needed to open it up, and that is exactly what the team did.
Even in victory, the Hurricanes' best chance of making it to the College Football Playoff is just winning out. However, thanks to the conference known as the ACC, a light has emerged for the Hurricanes and the ACC Championship game in Charlotte. They only need four teams to lose a few more games in these last three weeks of the regular season.
Not all five possible scenarios need to happen; just four of the five scenarios need to happen. The Canes could likely face the one scenario that doesn’t put them in Charlotte.
Step One: Georgia Tech Drops One More ACC Game
The Yellow Jackets are 5-1 in ACC play right now, but they still have two more games to go. They must face a struggling Boston College that might be on the verge of firing its head coach, while they will also take on a ranked and hungry Pitt team that is set to face No. 10 Notre Dame this week. Drop one of those games, and the Hurricanes have a brighter light.
Step Two: Virigina Drops one more ACC Game
After the upset loss to Wake Forest, who knows how many rabbits the Cavaliers can pull out of their hat? They have lived on a season like that, and they have to face a weirdly strong Duke team and a rivalry game against Virginia Tech to close the season.
Step Three: SMU Has to Loss Both Against Louisville and Cal
Miami lost to SMU, so they need SMU to fall completely apart to the Cardinals and to Cal. They need them to lose both games.
Step Four : Duke Drops One more ACC Game
The Blue Devils are weird. They are 5-1 in ACC play, but every game outside of the conference is a mess. Losing in Illinois, Tulane, and UConn is now the way the ACC wants to go, but somehow, they are still in contention. Knowing Manny Diaz, they will do the job for Miami, and they won't have to worry about this step. Miami should have one step already backed in.
Step Five: Louisville Drops one game
Had Carson Beck not thrown four interceptions against this team, the Hurricanes wouldn't even have to worry about the Cardinals. Nevertheless, the Calgorithum figured out something for the Canes and helped them defeat them in an overtime loss. Now the Cardinals have to face SMU and Clemson, who will both be tough opponents on any given night. This step also favors the Hurricanes.
Miami just needs four of these things to go right for them, and they will have a chance to win their first ACC Championship.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.