Early upsets thin the herd
Three contenders for the Coastal Division's spot in the ACC championship game have been stricken from the race today. North Carolina and Virginia fell out by losing at home to non-contenders, and the Tar Heels' loss to N.C. State eliminated Miami.
So now it's down to Georgia Tech (5-3) and Virginia Tech (3-3).
Here's why the Hurricanes (4-3) are out: The best they can do is 5-3. They'd lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Yellow Jackets, who defeated them on Thursday. If Virginia Tech wins its final two games, both of which are against divisional opponents, it will be 5-3 overall and will prevail in a three-way tiebreaker with the Canes and Jackets because of a superior (4-1) divisional record.
If the Hokies lose to Duke or Virginia, the Jackets are Tampa-bound.
As of 4:24 p.m. today, the Atlantic's leaders are Maryland (4-2) and Boston College (3-3). The Eagles are dominating Wake Forest 13-0 midway through the second quarter and will knock out the Deacons if they prevail.
In that event, the Eagles will be in position to secure their second straight Atlantic title next week. A win over Maryland would do it.
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