By : Sabri Haidar
(Photo/Sabri Haidar- The Mojo Network)
The ACC title game delivered pure chaos, and it may only be the beginning. Duke capped one of the most unlikely championship runs in recent memory by upsetting No. 16 Virginia 27 to 20 in overtime, a result that sends the league into a stressful wait as the College Football Playoff committee prepares to set the twelve-team field.
There was already confusion when Duke emerged as the ACC Coastal representative. The Blue Devils finished in a five-way tie at 6 and 2 in conference play despite non-conference losses to Illinois, Tulane and Connecticut. Tiebreakers nudged them into the title game, even though Virginia had crushed Duke in Durham just three weeks earlier. That storyline evaporated quickly once the game began.
Duke opened with a methodical fifteen-play march that drained nearly ten minutes and ended with a touchdown. Virginia answered early in the second quarter, but the Blue Devils countered with another scoring drive to take a seven-point lead into halftime. The teams traded field goals in the third quarter before Duke’s defense grabbed momentum with a critical interception deep in Virginia territory. A field goal pushed the lead to two scores, but the Cavaliers rallied in the final minute to force overtime.
Once in extra time, Duke struck first. On fourth and goal, quarterback Darian Mensah found Jeremiah Hasley for a clutch touchdown. Virginia attempted a trick play on its first snap of overtime, and Duke defender Luke Mergott jumped the throw for a game-ending interception that sealed the program’s first outright ACC championship since 1962.
What the upset means for Duke’s Playoff chances
Under normal circumstances, winning a Power Four championship would give a team a clear path into the Playoff. Duke’s situation is anything but normal. Entering Saturday, ESPN’s Football Power Index listed the Blue Devils with a zero percent chance of making the field. The main obstacle is their record. A five-loss team has never earned a Playoff berth, and Duke’s résumé is troubled by two losses to Group of Five opponents and no ranked wins until the ACC title game.
The result actually strengthens the position of No. 19 James Madison, which sits at No. 25 in the Playoff rankings and is in line to claim the final automatic bid as Sun Belt champion. The committee selects the five highest ranked conference champions, and Duke was not ranked in either the Coaches Poll or the Playoff rankings entering championship weekend. The current list of top conference champions includes Indiana from the Big Ten, Georgia from the SEC, Texas Tech from the ACC, Tulane from the American and James Madison from the Sun Belt. For Duke to move ahead of James Madison, the committee would need to elevate the Blue Devils dramatically after one win. That scenario appears unlikely.
The fallout is brutal for the ACC. Miami entered the week at No. 12 with slim at-large hopes, and the Hurricanes now need help to remain in the conversation. If Miami fails to crack the field and Duke is not elevated by the committee, the ACC would become the only Power Four conference without a representative in this year’s Playoff.
Duke can make its case, but all signs point toward the Blue Devils being left out when the bracket is announced. The upset will be remembered for its shock value, yet it may also mark one of the most disappointing postseason outcomes in conference history.