Who will play Clemson in 2016 ACC Championship Game?
By John Buhler
The Clemson Tigers won the ACC Atlantic by defeating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday. Who will face Clemson in the 2016 ACC Championship Game?
By crushing the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday 35-13 in Winston-Salem, the No. 4 Clemson Tigers have clinched the ACC Atlantic division crown and will play in the 2016 ACC Championship Game in Orlando.
Awaiting Clemson in the 2016 ACC Championship Game will be the winner of the ACC Coastal division. Which team could that end up being?
The ACC Coastal race will come down to the final week and only two teams are in it: the Virginia Tech Hokies and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Virginia Tech has the head-to-head tiebreaker over North Carolina. The Hokies eviscerated the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill 34-3 on October 8th.
Both the Hokies and the Tar Heels are 5-2 in ACC play so far on the season. Here is what needs to happen to decide the ACC Coastal race:
If Virginia Tech beats the arch rival Virginia Cavaliers in the Commonwealth Cup, it will be the Hokies that will represent the ACC Coastal in the 2016 ACC Championship. Should Virginia Tech fall to awful Virginia (2-9), the Tar Heels would need to beat the North Carolina State Wolfpack (5-6) to win the ACC Coastal.
Virginia Tech has won 12 straight over arch rival Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup. The last time the Hoos beat the Hokies, Matt Schaub was quarterbacking Virginia. Bronco Mendenhall could end up being the coach that Virginia needs, but it is a rebuilding project in Charlottesville for the foreseeable future.
With North Carolina State needing to beat North Carolina to be bowl eligible, the Tar Heels can’t expect the Wolfpack to keel over in Week 13. In short, Clemson should expect to play Virginia Tech in the 2016 ACC Championship Game.
Next: Best college quarterback born in every state
However, the Tigers should also be prepared to face North Carolina should Virginia Tech fall. A Hokies loss coupled with a Tar Heels win would mean a rematch in the 2016 ACC Championship from last year.