Unranked Duke handed No. 17 Virginia a 27-20 overtime upset to secure its first ACC championship in program history on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Secured by an interception on UVA’s first possession of overtime by defender Luke Mergott, quarterback Darian Mensah led the Blue Devils’ offense, throwing for 196 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 19-of-25 passes.
Duke reached the ACC championship game after emerging from a five-way tie for second place in the conference, edging No. 12 Miami, No. 22 Georgia Tech, SMU and Pittsburgh in the tiebreaker.
The Blue Devils improved to 8-5 while dealing a major blow to Virginia’s College Football Playoff hopes, who will likely be out of the conversation, and the ACC’s chances of securing a CFP spot all together.
Fans reacted to the upset as chatter about a potential CFP bracket shakeup erupted.
With Duke winning and the playoffs granting automatic bids to the five highest ranked conference champions, Sun Belt champion James Madison is eyeing the No. 12 CFP spot after debuting at No. 25 as the ACC sits on the brink of getting left out of the playoffs altogether.
However, Duke could still have a path to the CFP if the committee deems its win over No. 17 Virginia impressive enough.
The College Football Playoff selection show on Dec. 7 will determine their official spot in the 12-team bracket.
