After a string of close victories in the ACC for the previously undefeated Georgia Tech, their defense finally collapsed in a shocking 48-36 defeat against NC State on Saturday night. This loss likely puts an end to the ACC’s aspirations of having multiple teams in the College Football Playoff (CFP).

NC State showcased a powerful offense, accumulating 583 yards, highlighted by quarterback CJ Bailey’s stellar performance along with pivotal contributions from tailback Hollywood Smothers and tight end Justin Joly, both absent from the game due to injury.

The Yellow Jackets fell to 8-1 for the season, with their only conference loss now unceremoniously denting their playoff hopes. Virginia, currently unbeaten in the ACC, stands as the last possible contender for a CFP berth from the conference. The ACC title hopes are now clouded, as the rankings will reveal little support for the conference unless teams like Miami (6-2) step up.

While Virginia fights to maintain an unbeaten record, Georgia Tech’s best outcome might involve escalating chaos in the coming weeks, needing to overcome their rivals, including Georgia, and conclusively rebound in the latter part of the season to salvage any playoff aspirations.

The future looks bleak for the ACC, particularly with the committee’s new metrics disadvantaging them against the SEC and Big Ten, which continue to dominate discussions around playoff positioning.