Wild ACC CFP scenario becomes more realistic after rankings reveal

The ACC has been the most unpredictable college football conference this season, but it might save its biggest twist for last.

College Football Playoff No. 15 Miami Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2 ACC) are the 11-seed in the latest CFP bracket as the projected ACC champion, but if the ACC title game were this weekend, they wouldn't even qualify for the game. Miami currently ranks seventh in the conference standings, trailing five teams with one conference loss and No. 20 Louisville (7-2, 4-2 in ACC), which it lost to earlier this season.

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) gives Miami the sixth-best odds of winning the ACC (3.9%).

ACC's best team has uphill climb to even making conference championship game

Enough teams ahead of the Hurricanes play each other over the next three weeks that it's possible they end the season tied for first or runner-up, but even so, their path to Charlotte in early December is by no means clear.

Miami lost the tiebreaker to SMU (7-3, 5-1 ACC), meaning the Mustangs must lose their last two games — vs. Louisville, at Cal (6-4, 3-3 ACC) — for the Canes to pass them in the standings. No. 16 Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC) is the favorite to win the conference per FPI and will clinch a spot in the ACC title game with wins over Boston College (1-9, 0-6 ACC) and No. 22 Pittsburgh (7-2, 5-1 ACC) the next two weeks.

It's entirely possible the ACC's best team — at least per CFP vote — is absent the conference championship game and passed over for the 12-team playoff. Miami would have no one to blame but itself if the wild scenario comes to fruition. The Hurricanes were favored in both losses, but quarterback Carson Beck threw six interceptions in the two games. The defense also struggled, allowing 306.5 pass yards per game (the unit has allowed 165.4 passing yards per game in seven wins). (h/t cfbstats.com)

Miami's playoff hopes could hinge on chaos unfolding ahead of it in the ACC standings. The Hurricanes may be able to sneak in with an at-large bid, but that, too, would require several upsets involving teams in front of them.

With only three weeks until conference championship game weekend, Miami needs a lot to go its way to be in line to receive an automatic bid. Unless the CFP committee was in charge. Then, it would already be well on its way.