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Clemson Football: When can Tigers clinch a berth in ACC Championship?

By Andrew Boardwine

Oct 10, 2020; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney (middle) walks off the field with offensive lineman Cade Stewart (62) and linebacker James Skalski (47) after defeating the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2020; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney (middle) walks off the field with offensive lineman Cade Stewart (62) and linebacker James Skalski (47) after defeating the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports /
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When & How Clemson football can clinch a berth in the ACC Championship

There are no divisions in the ACC this year and that makes things a little more difficult for the Clemson football team as the Tigers attempt to lock up a bid in the conference title game.

The Clemson football program has won five-straight ACC Championships dating back to 2015 and the Tigers are looking to make it six-straight, but they’re not in first place when it comes to the latest conference standings.

Following a loss to Notre Dame, the Tigers are now in second place looking to battle their way back and earn a spot in the ACC Championship game– which is currently scheduled to be played in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Here’s a look at the updated ACC standings leaders heading into this week’s slate of games coming off of Clemson’s bye week. Each team is listed with their conference record:

  1. Notre Dame (7-0)
  2. Clemson (6-1)
  3. Miami (6-1)
  4. UNC (6-2)
  5. NC State (5-3)
  6. Virginia Tech (4-3)

What has to happen for Clemson football to clinch a berth in the ACC Championship?

Interestingly enough, Notre Dame can clinch a berth with a win over North Carolina this weekend and then a win at home against Syracuse the next weekend no matter what anyone else does. So long as the Fighting Irish only lose one game, they’ll be in.

Clemson also controls its own destiny.

The Tigers beat Miami earlier in the season, so they have the tiebreaker over the Hurricanes. Miami has to win out and hope Clemson loses another one. The Tigers- with their three games remaining- would clinch without needing any help as long as they win out.

That being said, if Miami were to drop one in the next two weeks and North Carolina were to lose to Notre Dame this weekend, the Tigers could clinch a week earlier than their final game of the season (perhaps next week against Pitt), but that’s the earliest.

It’s possible that Clemson, Miami and North Carolina could finish in a three-way tie- if the Tarheels won out and the Tigers and Hurricanes each dropped one- and then we’d have some crazy scenarios to see who actually got the tiebreaker. Most likely, though, it’d still be Clemson.

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In the end, the easiest thing for the Tigers to do is just to win. Clemson controls its own destiny and needs to win these final three games to get back to the ACC Championship game and avenge that loss to Notre Dame from a week ago. No one else can take away anything away from them and they just need to come out ready to go as we head down the stretch of this season.

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