We are basically at the halfway point of the 2018 college football seasons, and pictures are clearing up nationally, in what has been a mostly uneventful, and quite frankly, mostly boring season. We can say with almost clear certainty that 3 of the sham playoff spots have been locked up, and when we are saying that in mid-October, that is not a good look for the sport overall, so I will be focusing on conference title races moving forward, and will largely not be discussing a playoff that I have no belief in. Fair warning, if you are a fan of the playoff, and you want playoff discussion, this will not likely be the site for you moving forward, as I am bringing the discussion back to basics, where the playoff has little to zero clout. Here are the notes for each FBS conference as we sit here in mid-October:
ACC
Teams In the Hunt: Clemson, NC State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Pitt, Duke
Elimination Mode: Syracuse, Florida State, Wake Forest, Louisville, North Carolina, Georgia Tech
Clemson is a clear favorite if you ask people on social media, but the Tigers are probably the most vulnerable team in the overall national race for a title. Clemson has to knock off unbeaten NC State this week, and Boston College is still on the horizon. Remember that Clemson nearly was beaten by Syracuse a few weeks ago.
NC State is rolling early, and has already defeated Boston College. If the Pack can get the upset win over Clemson this coming week, they place themselves in a very good spot moving forward, but the pressure amps up as well, because they would only be able to afford one loss the rest of the season, because Clemson, and BC, will be on their heels.
BC already has a loss to NC State, and Clemson is still coming up. The Eagles need to beat Clemson, and hope that Clemson beats NC State, and that the Pack then loses one more game in the Coastal Division. Even with one loss currently, the Eagles face longer odds than most in the group.
In the Atlantic Division, which is once again a hot mess, things are less clear. Virginia Tech, as inconsistent as they have been, is unbeaten in league play at 3-0. They still have important games coming up against Virginia and Miami to finish the season, and they play Boston College the week after next.
Virginia is coming off a strong win over Miami, and still has the Hokies on tap for the season finale. They need the Hokies to lose a couple of games, and really can afford no more than one loss the rest of the way to play in the ACC title game. It's a lot to ask, but the Cavaliers are right on the doorstep.
Miami's loss to UVA was ill timed, and the Canes look exposed right now in the conference race, in what was supposed to be a division that they could win outright. They still have Duke and Virginia Tech on the schedule, and they could lose both. Miami needs to beat Virginia Tech, and get at least one more loss by UVA in conference play to stay in this race.
Pitt is a long shot right now, and they have already lost to North Carolina, which is as bad as it gets in the league this season. At 3-4 overall, Pitt is the longest shot of all in the ACC to recover and win a league title, but they are still just 1-1 in league play, and they still could catch fire. The final five weeks are brutal, and a second loss could put the Panthers out of play in the division.
Duke is 5-1 overall, but just 1-1 in ACC play, with a loss to Virginia Tech. As of this moment, the Blue Devils are a fan of the field against the Hokies, and they need to win out. The next 3 weeks are a meat grinder, as Duke gets Virginia, Pitt, and Miami. They go to Clemson on 11/17 as well.
Coaches on the Hot Seat: Bobby Petrino, Louisville; Pat Narduzzi, Pitt; Larry Fedora, North Carolina; Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Biggest Week 8 Games: Virginia at Duke; NC State at Clemson
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