Not really a big surprise.
Georgia Tech has been tough under head coach Brent Key, and star quarterback Haynes King came back. It was a home game in early November, and the Miami Hurricanes were ranked fourth in the first College Football Playoff rankings, so the pressure was on the other team.
Why did Georgia Tech win 28–23? What does this mean for the race to win the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff?
Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23
Georgia Tech is bowl eligible.
Start with easy things. The last game for Georgia Tech is a trip to Georgia. They still have to play NC State. Next week, it is likely to beat the Wolfpack. With six wins, it would have been able to go to the bowl game, but now it is over. Have some fun now.
Ga Tech beat Florida State, North Carolina, and Miami all in the same season with this win. It has worked before against bad teams, and no one else has been able to do it until now.
Miami lost because of it.
Miami is more than fine overall.
It is not in the running for the ACC title because Georgia Tech has lost three games, so Miami does not have to worry about losing the head-to-head tie-breaker.
First, I am 99% sure that Miami still gets into the CFP even if it is 11-2 and its only loss was in the ACC Championship. No 11-win Power 4 or then Power 5 program would have missed out on a 12-team CFP in the last ten years.
The best way to get into the new College Football Playoff is as an 11-1 team that has not had to play in a conference championship. It might be better to take some time off and play the 13th game at home, but
Miami wants to win the ACC Championship, but it’s still just fine.
It was very important for SMU to beat Pitt last week.
In this case, SMU is in charge. The Mustangs will be in if they beat Boston College, Virginia, and Cal. That means Pitt still has to play Clemson, Louisville, and Boston College. They have to lose one of those games.
If Clemson wins, things could get tricky. Right now, Clemson is playing Virginia Tech, and the ACC finale at Pitt could mean everything for the winner because it keeps them in the hunt.
ACC tie-breakers: This gets really, really messy is the ACC losses start piling up for key teams.
It is crazy how the ACC breaks ties, especially since SMU does not play Miami or Clemson but did beat Louisville.
To be honest, it all comes down to whether SMU can win or not. If Miami wins its next two games, it is almost certain to play in the ACC title game.
Does the Miami loss to Georgia Tech knock out Cam Ward in the Heisman race?
The Heisman is not very strong this year, which does not help. No, Ward did not win for his team, but he did throw for 348 yards, three touchdowns, and no.
The main problem is that he does not have many big games, but since no one else is screaming “HEISMAN!” he is still in the mix.
