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By VTHokiefans.com Follower “Jordan”

With Georgia Tech and Miami playing tonight and the Canes having only two conference loses, they control their own destiny – win out and they are Coastal Division champs. If the Yellow Jackets win, they finish 5-3 and that means that UNC, VT, and UVA must win out (all three have two remaining conference games) to finish tied with Georgia Tech and possibly Miami, if the Canes beat NCSU).

So, a 4-4 record gets you nothing. Finish 5-3 and you are still at the table, but there are several possibilities for who takes the pot. The Hokies need GT to beat UM (like everyone else). If this occurs and VT wins out (which would knock UVA out the picture), AND UM beats NCSU, AND UNC wins out; then VT, GT, UNC and UM all finish 5-3.

A four-way tie between these teams would mean that we come to the ACC’s first tiebreaker step; head-to-head records against the teams tied for first. This narrows the tiebreaker down to Virginia Tech (beat UNC, GT) and UNC (beat UM, GT), each with a 2-1 record against the other teams. Miami (losses to UNC and GT) and GT (losses to VT and UNC) have 1-2 records in this scenario.

Now that it is narrowed down to two teams (VT and UNC), head-to-head record is used to break the tie and Virginia Tech beat UNC.

If UNC loses along the way, the Hokies are still in the game since the three tied teams (VT, GT, UM) all have head-to-head records of (1-1).  The next tie breaker is divisional record and VT (4-1) has the edge over UM (3-2) and GT (2-3). If UM were to lose both remaining games, VT could either finsh 5-3 tied with GT and potenially UNC. In either case VT goes to the ACC Championship game, as it beat both these teams (UNC and GT) in the regular season.

Poor UVA (not really):

The Hoos could win out and actually be hurt it UNC loses. All the same that is stated for VT must be true for UVA (win out, UM lose to GT). If the four-way tie is UVA, UNC, UM, and GT; UVA wins like tech did; having a 2-1 head-to-head record with the other tied teams which matches UNC and having beat UNC. If UNC loses and there is a three-way tie (UVA, GT, UM), UVA is ousted by UM since all three teams are 1-1 against the others, UM and UVA have the same divisional record (3-2), but UM beat UVA. (Lost yet?) The diffence being VT only lost to UM within the division (4-1), but UM loses to GT and UNC (3-2); therefore the third tie-breaker, of head-to-head, is not needed.

Clear as mud? Good! Now GO other Tech!

Official ACC Tiebreaker Rules

*Our thanks to Jordan for putting this together! Great work, dude!

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