The Duke Blue Devils held within the top 60 of the ESPN Football Power Index after their Week 12 bye.
The Duke Blue Devils didn’t play football on Saturday, but they still slipped down two spots to 58th in the ESPN Football Power Index rankings after Week 12.
Despite their 7-3 record, the Blue Devils are still considered just the 10th-best team in the conference by the popular analytical formula. In fact, the North Carolina Tar Heels remain eight spots above them despite having a 6-4 record that includes a loss in Durham back in Week 5.
FPI gives Duke a 27.6% chance to win its remaining two games against Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. The Hokies, just 5-5 despite building second-half leads over the Miami Hurricanes and Clemson Tigers, have remained all the way up at 33rd.
The Demon Deacons lost to UNC on Saturday, falling to 4-6 for the season and staying 88th on the rankings.
With Stanford’s upset of Louisville, the ACC has become a three-team race. The Hurricanes (10th) and SMU Mustangs (15th) control their own destiny, but Clemson (12th) has already secured its 7-1 record in case either team slips up the rest of the way.
Subpar field conditions may impact the Steelers’ Week 11 matchup against the Ravens, adding uncertainty to this AFC North rivalry.
As if there couldn’t be more uncertainty surrounding the 7-2 Steelers’ matchup against the formidable 7-3 Ravens, subpar field conditions at Acrisure Stadium may add an additional layer of intrigue to the meeting between these AFC North rivals.
Less than 24 hours before the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, the Pittsburgh Panthers hosted the Clemson Tigers in an ACC CFB matchup at Acrisure.
While fans of the Steel City are treated to watching their city’s CFB and NFL teams play this weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t as fortunate.
When the Pittsburgh Panthers have played at Acrisure just before the Steelers, the field conditions from the game have significantly deteriorated.
One of the most recent examples was in 2022 when the Panthers hosted Georgia Tech on October 1. Weather conditions and the worn-down field made the Steelers’ Week 4 playing conditions against the New York Jets less than ideal, ultimately costing Pittsburgh the game, 24-20.
Could a similar issue present itself in Week 11? Fans would be disappointed if poor field conditions cost the Steelers a chance at furthering their lead in the AFC North divisional race over the Ravens.
Omarion Hampton enjoyed the game of his life Saturday. UNC’s defense held off Wake Forest late, helping the Tar Heels to a huge win that extend their bowl streak.
If the North Carolina Tar Heels didn’t have Omarion Hampton on Saturday night against Wake Forest, I think tonight’s outcome would look a lot different.
If UNC’s defense didn’t step up in the fourth quarter – albeit an almost collapse – I think we could be saying the same thing.
Thanks to Big O and a resurgent defensive unit, North Carolina beat Wake Forest, 31-17, for its third-consecutive victory and to make a bowl game for the sixth-straight year.
Hampton set multiple career highs – and rewrote the Tar Heel record books – in the best game of his collegiate career Saturday night.
Hampton carried the football a career-high 33 times and set a new career-high with 244 rushing yards, in addition to scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown that extended UNC’s lead to two possessions. He’s now fifth in career rushing yards (3,327), passing Don McCauley and Kelvin Bryant on the night. Hampton’s 35 rushing touchdowns also tie him with former North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams for third all-time.
The Tar Heels allowed a Wake Forest touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the final quarter, but kept Wake scoreless for nearly 20 minutes – after allowing 14 third-quarter points. UNC’s lockdown defense spanned five drives, in which Wake only gained 27 yards on 15 plays.
North Carolina looked lost at one point this season, losing four-straight games and reverting to its old defensive tendencies.
Now, thanks to the best running back in the country and a resurgent defense. the Tar Heels are bowl eligible for a sixth-straight year and one of the ACC’s hottest teams.
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How the ACC will figure out who’s in the conference title game if there are ties in the standings.
The ACC got a bit bigger this year thanks to chaotic conference realignment nationwide and added Cal, Stanford and SMU to the mix for a total of 17 teams.
With the additions, the conference eliminated the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, so that coupled with the number of teams and not being able to play every squad in the conference, ties in the ACC standings at the end of the regular season are possible. And that could complicate how the two teams in the conference title game are determined.
While conference titles alone are important, there are also College Football Playoff implications on the line because the four highest-ranked conference champs get top seeds and first-round byes.
Here’s a look at the ACC football tiebreaker rules in 2024, should we need them.
ACC football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Kevin Ruinard/USA TODAY Network
The 2024 ACC football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and the top-2 teams will face off. But without the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the ACC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to break it, per ACC tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams
2. Win percentage versus all common opponents
3. Win percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win-percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
4. Combined win percentage of conference opponents
5. The tied team with the higher ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
6. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
In a two-way tie for first, the team with the highest win percentage (outright or via tiebreaker rules) will be the top seed.
If there is at least a multi-team tie in the ACC at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. After the first team is selected from the multi-way tiebreak, the tiebreaker process resets:
1. Combined head-to-head win percentage among the tied teams if all tied teams are common opponents
2. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, the tied team that defeated each of the other tied teams. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, no tied team defeated each of the other tied teams, but a tied team lost to each of the other tied teams, such team shall be eliminated and removed from the tie
3. Win percentage versus all common opponents
4. Win percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
5. Combined win percentage of conference opponents
6. The tied team with the highest ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
7. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
How the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC will figure out who plays in their respective conference title games if there are ties at the top of the standings.
Some FBS conferences eliminated divisions as they added or lost teams, and now the Sun Belt Conference is the lone one with two divisions. So that means, for example, determining who plays in the SEC championship game no longer boils down to who wins the East or West divisions. Instead, it’s all about the top-2 finishers in the regular-season standings.
So who gets to play in their respective conference title games when the four highest-ranked conference champs get a top College Football Playoff seed and first-round bye? What are the tiebreaker rules for the Power Four conferences in 2024?
It’s a lot to keep track of, so we’re here to help.
ACC football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The 2024 ACC football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and the top-2 teams will face off. But without the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the ACC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to break it, per ACC tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams
2. Win-percentage versus all common opponents
3. Win-percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win-percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
4. Combined win-percentage of conference opponents
5. The tied team with the higher ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
6. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
In a two-way tie for first, the team with the highest win percentage (outright or via tiebreaker rules) will be the top seed.
Kevin Ruinard/USA TODAY Network
If there is at least a multi-team tie in the ACC at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. After the first team is selected from the multi-way tiebreak, the tiebreaker process resets:
1. Combined head-to-head win-percentage among the tied teams if all tied teams are common opponents
2. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, the tied team that defeated each of the other tied teams. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, no tied team defeated each of the other tied teams, but a tied team lost to each of the other tied teams, such team shall be eliminated and removed from the tie
3. Win-percentage versus all common opponents
4. Win-percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win-percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
5. Combined win-percentage of conference opponents
6. The tied team with the highest ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
7. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
Big Ten football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The 2024 Big Ten football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the top-2 teams will face off. But without the East and West divisions (RIP Legends and Leaders), how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the Big Ten standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will use these considerations to break it, per Big Ten tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head game winner
2. Win percentage among common conference opponents
3. The records of the two tied teams will be compared based on record against common opponents with the best conference record and proceeding through the common conference opponents based on their order of finish within the conference standings
4. The records of the two tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents
5. The representative will be chosen by the by the highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the regular season
6. Random draw among the tied teams conducted by commissioner or designee
If there’s a two-way tie for first in the Big Ten and the tied teams previously played each other, the winner of that game is the top seed. If the tied teams didn’t previously play each other, the two-way tiebreaker rules apply.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
If there is at least a multi-team tie in the Big Ten at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. But if it’s a tie after the single tiebreak winner is selected, the Big Ten will use these factors to break it. And if the tie is reduced to two teams, the two-team tiebreaker rules apply.
1. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage in games among the tied teams:
1A. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other, but one team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, the team that defeated all other teams in the tie is removed from the tiebreaker, and the remaining teams revert to the beginning of the applicable tiebreaker process (i.e., two team or three or more team tie)
1B. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other and no team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, move to the next step in tiebreaker
2. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against all common conference opponents played by all other teams involved in the tie
3. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings in order of finish
4. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents:
4A. In the event of an unbalanced schedule (i.e., less than nine conference games are played), the records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents, regardless of how many conference opponents each team played. If winning percentage is equal for all conference opponents, move to next step in tiebreaker
5. The representative will be chosen by the by the highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the regular season
6. Random draw among the tied teams conducted by commissioner or designee
Big 12 football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 Big 12 football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at noon ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the conference’s top-2 teams will play. But if there’s a tie, how will the Big 12 break it to determine which teams will play for a conference title?
If there is a two-team tie in the Big 12 standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will look at these factors to break it, per Big 12 tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition among the two tied teams
2. Win percentage against all common conference opponents among the tied teams
3. Win percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the Conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., the strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
7. Coin toss
If there’s a two-way tie for first and the tied teams previously played each other, the winner of that game is the top seed. If the tied teams didn’t previously play each other, the two-way tiebreaker rules apply.
Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman
If there is a multi-team tie in the Big 12 at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider the following factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. But if there is still a multi-way tie after the first team is selected from the tiebreak, the Big 12 will use these factors to break the tie, and when two teams are left tied, the two-team tiebreaker rules apply.
1. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage in games among the tied teams:
1A. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other, but one team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, the team that defeated all other teams in the tie is removed from the tiebreaker, and the remaining teams revert to the beginning of the applicable tiebreaker process (i.e., two team or three or more team tie)
1B. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other and no team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, move to the next step in tiebreaker
2. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against all common conference opponents played by all other teams involved in the tie
3. Record of the three (or more) tied teams against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Record of the three (or more) tied teams based on combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
7. Coin toss
SEC football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 SEC football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the conference’s top two teams will face off. But without the East and West divisions, how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the SEC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to break it, per SEC tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
2. Record versus all common conference opponents among tied teams
3. Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent in the conference standings, and proceeding through the conference standings among the tied teams
4. Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
5. Higher relative total scoring margin per SportSource Analytics versus all conference opponents among tied teams
6. Random draw of the tied teams
If two teams are tied for first in the SEC standings, they’ll play in the title game, and the tiebreaker steps above will decide seeding.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
If there is a multi-team tie in the SEC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will look at these considerations to identify the first team in the title game. After the first team is identified, the process reverts back to the two-team tiebreaker rules.
1. Head-to-head competition among tied teams
2. Record versus all common conference opponents among tied teams
3. Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent, proceeding through the conference standings among tied teams
4. Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
5. Higher relative total scoring margin per SportSource Analytics versus all conference opponents among the tied teams
Can UNC land a needed commitment from in-state wide receiver Jamien Little on Saturday?
The North Carolina Tar Heels are in great shape with their 2025 football recruiting class, already securing 12 commitments.
That UNC class is headlined by 4-star quarterback Bryce Baker, another in-state standout who plays at East Forsyth in Kernersville. North Carolina has another pair of 4-star commits in that same 2025 class: offensive tackle Alex Payne and defensive end Austin Alexander.
There’s one position the Tar Heels lack in their next recruiting class: wide receiver, with 3-star Evan Haynes the only one locked down.
UNC has a golden chance to add another wide receiver this coming weekend – a potential 13th commitment – as 3-star in-state wideout Jamien Little announced he’ll be attending the UNC-Wake Forest football game.
If you look at Little’s X and Instagram accounts, each listed below, he recently de-committed from Wake Forest. How sweet would it be if the Tar Heels stole Little from an in-state rival?
Little, arguably the focal point of Hickory High School’s offense, helped lead Hickory to its second State Championship in 2023. Little caught 70 passes for a whopping 1,372 yards and 20 touchdown, averaging 19.6 yards per catch and 85.8 yards per game.
Through 10 games in 2024, as the Tornadoes prepare for another 3A State Championship, Little already has 808 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Those churn out to 20.7 yards per catch and 80.8 yards per game.
North Carolina will be Little’s first scheduled visit since breaking away from the Demon Deacons, a good sign that Chapel Hill is high on Little’s list. Duke is also in strong consideration for Little, though according to his 247Sports recruiting profile, 12 other schools – including NC State – are in the mix.
With J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum currently in their final seasons as Tar Heels, a commitment from Little would go a long way to rounding out a young receiving corps.
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After taking down the NC State Wolfpack, Duke did not move in the latest ACC power rankings from USA TODAY Sports.
The Duke Blue Devils took down the NC State Wolfpack in their own stadium on Saturday to earn their seventh win of the season with two more games to go. In the latest ACC power rankings from USA TODAY Sports, however, Duke did not move.
Heading into Week 12, Craig Meyer considers Duke the seventh-best team in the ACC. After the school’s first 5-0 start in three decades, the Blue Devils had lost three of their last four entering Saturday’s in-state rivalry game, but the Wolfpack win can give them some forward momentum.
Miami, who entered the week undefeated, shook up the top of the rankings with an upset loss at the hands of Georgia Tech. The SMU Mustangs took over the top spot as the last team without a conference loss, and the Hurricanes and Clemson Tigers followed suit in second and third.
For their final two games, Duke will face Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, two teams that Meyer ranked 11th and 15th in the conference. If the Blue Devils want to move up, they’ll have to handle business and hope the teams ahead of them lose as well.
In CBS Sports’ latest bowl projection, the Duke Blue Devils are facing a west coast team that recently joined the ACC.
The Duke football team entered Week 11 already eligible for the college football postseason with six wins, but that’s just a starting point. After the Blue Devils took down the NC State Wolfpack, they will enter the final stretch of the season with seven wins and counting on their resume.
As a result, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm updated his bowl projections to have the Blue Devils facing the California Golden Bears, a new member of the ACC, in the Sun Bowl on December 31. The game would take place in El Paso, Texas.
With a 1-4 record in conference play, the Golden Bears currently sit just 15th in the ACC standings ahead of the Florida State Seminoles and Stanford Cardinals. However, four non-conference wins have California 5-4 for the season as a whole.
Cal started the season 3-0 before losing four in a row, losing one-score games against the Seminoles, Wolfpack, Pittsburgh Panthers, and Miami Hurricanes. The Golden Bears have, however, gotten back on track in the last two weeks by taking down Oregon State and Wake Forest to keep their bowl hopes alive.
For Cal to become bowl-eligible, they need to win one of their last three games against Syracuse, Stanford, and SMU. The Mustangs, the last team left without a conference loss in the ACC, would be the toughest of those three, but the 2-7 Cardinal provide a reasonable task.
The UNC football season sure is winding down quick. North Carolina now knows its final road kickoff time.
You have every reason to be optimistic about how the North Carolina Tar Heels are playing football right now.
UNC (5-4, 2-3 ACC) has consecutive wins in its back pocket, dominating both Virginia and Florida State on the road. North Carolina broke its 4-game losing streak with a 41-14 thumping of the Cavaliers, then continued to play exceptional football when it overwhelmed the Seminoles, 35-11.
The Tar Heels next match up with Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. under the lights at Kenan Stadium, then ship up to Boston College on Nov. 23 for their road finale.
UNC just learned the start time for its clash with the Eagles (5-4, 2-3 ACC), as both teams will kick off at 12 p.m. ET next weekend.
North Carolina hasn’t played Boston College since 2020, when North Carolina won an extremely-close, 26-22 battle in the infamous COVID season. Sam Howell led the Tar Heel offense in that win, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPTc-sPtna/
UNC and the Eagles are in very similar positions ahead of their Nov. 23 matchup, with a win by either squad possibly clinching bowl eligibility. That is, of course, if North Carolina doesn’t beat Wake Forest Saturday and Boston College loses at SMU.
Both programs are tied at 5-4 overall, 2-3 in the ACC and arguably better than their records show.
The Tar Heels started with three straight wins, lost four straight, then won their past two. The Eagles started unranked, briefly climbed into the AP Poll after victories at then-ranked FSU and against Duquesne, plus are now back in the win column after breaking a 3-game slide against Syracuse.
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Duke football hosts Virginia Tech on November 23, and the ACC announced on Monday that the matchup will be played under the lights.
Duke football’s final home game of the 2024 season will be played under the lights on November 23.
The ACC announced its Week 13 broadcast schedule on Monday, and the Blue Devils will host the Virginia Tech Hokies for a game at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on ACC Network.
Duke has made a habit of playing night games in the first year under head coach Manny Diaz. Of the five previous contests held at Wallace Wade Stadium, four of them kicked off at 7:00 p.m. or later. Only the Blue Devils’ Week 5 comeback over the North Carolina Tar Heels, which started at 4:00, got an earlier start.
Those primetime slots make more sense when fans consider how well the Blue Devils have played this year. Duke got off to a 5-0 start for the first time in three decades and took down the Tar Heels and the NC State Wolfpack in the same season for the first time since 2013 after Saturday’s win in Raleigh.
The Hokies (5-5) need one win over their last two games to reach the postseason, but Duke fans shouldn’t be fooled by the record. Virginia Tech took Miami down to the last play of the game and led the Clemson Tigers by seven points at halftime on Saturday.
