The College Football Team That Can Plunge an Entire Conference Into Turmoil

Wall Street Journal – SportsWednesday, December 3, 2025 at 2:00:00 PM
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The College Football Team That Can Plunge an Entire Conference Into Turmoil
  • Duke University is on the verge of clinching the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title, a development that could lead to the conference's exclusion from the College Football Playoff (CFP). If Duke secures the title, it may result in an embarrassing postseason shutout for the ACC, as the playoff reserves spots for the strongest league champions.
  • This situation is significant for the ACC, as it highlights the precarious nature of conference standings and the implications of tiebreaker rules. The potential exclusion from the CFP could diminish the conference's reputation and impact its teams' recruitment and funding.
  • The unfolding scenario raises questions about the fairness of the current playoff system and the effectiveness of the ACC's tiebreaker rules, especially after Duke's 7-5 record allowed it to advance while other teams with better records, like Miami, were left out. This controversy reflects ongoing debates about competitive balance and the integrity of postseason selections in college football.
— via World Pulse Now AI Editorial System

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