A week ago when Virginia and Wake Forest went down to defeat, we wondered if anyone in the ACC wanted to go the Orange Bowl.
They rebounded this week with victories, and are now part of the ACC chase for the Orange Bowl. Let’s look a them and the other Orange Bowl contenders.
The Orange Bowl will select the highest ranked non-playoff ACC Team.
Clemson (7-0, 5-0)
If Clemson loses a games they’ll be headed to the Orange Bowl. That would be a bad result for the ACC and Clemson. If Clemson wins out, they are playoff bound. The Tigers would probably the one ACC team that wouldn’t want to be there at all.
Wake Forest (6-1, 5-1)
Wake Forest is currently the only other ranked ACC team. They’ll lose at Clemson, but could potentially win every other game. Their remaining schedule is NC State, @Virginia Tech, @Clemson, Duke and @Syracuse. Sam Hartman is nice player at QB, but Jamie Newman is game changer, and the Deacs need him healthy for the 10-2 finish they’ll need to get to the Orange Bowl. The game at Virginia Tech will be pivotal.
Virginia (5-2, 3-1)
The Hoos have the inside track in the Coastal with their win Pittsburgh. If they win out, until the ACCCG, they’ll leap frog Wake Forest. Even if they lose a game they aren’t out of it. They finish the season with games @Louisville, @UNC, Georgia Tech, Liberty, and Virginia Tech. Louisville, UNC, and Virginia Tech are the swing games.
Pittsburgh (5-2, 2-1)
Pittsburgh’s loss to Virginia puts them behind the Hoos, but they are capable of running the table. The finish with reeling Miami, @Georgia Tech, UNC, @Virginia Tech, and Boston College. Their game with Virginia Tech is pivotal for the Panthers as well.
Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2)
Here’s your darkhorse Orange Bowl contender. Virginia Tech has looked really shaky at times, but here they sit (5-2, 2-2) on a 3 game winning streak. You’d expect a loss at Notre Dame, but Wake Forest, @Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and @Virginia are winnable. Could a (9-3, 6-2) Hokie team find their to Orange Bowl? Certainly stranger things have happened, and no-one thought the Hokies could even entertain this thought after 45-10 loss to Duke a few weeks ago.
