Unlikely Power 5 conference championship matchups for 2021

ACC: Clemson v. Virginia

America saw this exact pairing just a couple of years ago, so doubting the chances of such a meeting happening again would already be rather narrowminded.

However, Coastal schools UNC and Miami have really stepped up to the plate since then, and face value would give them both much better chances of facing Clemson in the title game. I say Clemson so easily because the chances of them being toppled in the Atlantic are just so thin that they are virtually nonexistent.

The Cavaliers upset the Tar Heels in 2020, and they could quite possibly do so again, as head coach Bronco Mendenhall is a brilliant mind on the sideline.

And as far as the Hurricanes go, some mysterious vibes would indicate that UNC is even better than they are. So if UVA downs the Heels, the Canes may be in some uneasy territory.

SEC: Texas A&M v. Kentucky

Alabama is the Clemson of their division, only the former’s is much tougher. Let’s just throw the poor Aggies a bone and say that they stun the Tide; who else would be beating them? Georgia would be the most worthy foe, but A&M doesn’t have them on their regular-season slate.

Kentucky would find themselves in the same exact situation: needing an upset or two, this time over Georgia and/or Florida. But HC Mark Stoops has really proven his football IQ in his relatively short time with the Wildcats, so nothing should be put past them.

Whether you call it a hot take or wishful thinking, it is certainly obtainable on each end. A&M was a playoff-caliber squad in 2020; a win over Bama must only be so much to ask for. And as for the Dawgs and Gators, both are known for blowing games to inferior opponents; why can’t Kentucky catch those types of breaks in 2021?