The most pivotal moment in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings didn’t concern teams like Miami or Texas. Instead, it revealed the potential implications of James Madison’s debut ranking at No. 25.

James Madison, with an impressive 11-1 record, will compete against Troy for the Sun Belt Championship on Friday. A championship victory would solidify their position in the playoff rankings, marking a historic achievement for the program.

However, their success poses a serious risk for the ACC. Should James Madison win and be crowned a conference champion, it could lead to the ACC’s exclusion from the playoffs.

Discussing the guidelines: The committee guarantees automatic bids to the top five conference champions, highlighting the precarious nature of the situation. Indeed, all five spots might potentially be allocated to teams from the Group of Six conferences if they earn them based on performance.

For context, the CFP bracket includes Miami, which, despite being one of the best teams in the ACC, is ineligible for an automatic bid due to complexities arising from a congested conference landscape and specific tiebreaker procedures. Surprisingly, Duke, with a mediocre 7-5 record, finds itself facing Virginia in the ACC Championship Game.

Duke’s season has been disappointing, but its losses against Virginia and Georgia Tech matter most within the conference context. Given their position, the potential for an upset looms large, yet a five-loss Duke team finishing ahead of both the American Conference champion and James Madison would be troubling for the ACC.

It seems likely that James Madison’s ranking may affect the conference in unforeseen ways. Only time will determine if the ACC retains a spot in the 12-team playoff format.