The ACC is having a bowl season it would probably rather forget.
After 10 games, the conference sits at a shocking 1-9 record, with the only victory coming from Syracuse’s high-scoring win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. It’s a performance that has fans, analysts, and even rival conferences scratching their heads.
Most recently, NC State's loss to East Carolina in the Military Bowl added another blot to the ACC’s already dismal record. This wasn’t just a defeat—it ended with a brawl, making things even worse for the conference’s reputation. Beyond that, powerhouses like Clemson and Miami also fell short, despite their expectations of representing the conference at the highest level.
Of course, it's easy to point to some of the losses and understand. Miami was leading Iowa State before Cam Ward elected to sit out the second half. Clemson did make things competitive with Texas in Austin as part of the first-round of the College Football Playoff, but SMU was blown out by Penn State in the conference's other playoff game, and there are far too many embarrassing efforts from the conference to not take notice.
In a college football world marred by opt-outs and transfers, bowl season can't be taken too seriously. That being said, it's still a concerning data point for fans who are wanting to see the Power-4 remain intact.
The ACC finished with the second-most non-conference wins of any conference in the regular season, but if you're Jim Phillips, you certainly wanted to see a better showing from your teams in December. Many fans think this could affect the ACC's ability to get a second team into the CFP next season, and honestly, it will be a talking point for those in the SEC and Big Ten who are trying to cram as many teams into the playoff as they can.
Will bowl season results be the detractor that keeps the ACC from getting a second team next year? Most likely not. But, it's still something to keep an eye on as we head into the winter and spring, and talking season begins.
A few teams still have a chance to redeem the conference late in bowl season. Louisville, Duke, and Virginia Tech are yet to play, but even the odds for them aren’t great. Louisville, as a slight favorite, faces a tough matchup against Washington, while Duke (vs. Ole Miss) and Virginia Tech (vs. Minnesota) are underdogs in their respective games.
The ACC’s bowl season might close out on an even grimmer note unless these teams can pull off something miraculous.