Stephen A. Smith shreds ACC in College Football Playoff discussion: 'What is that conference?'

There are plenty of complaints right now about what the field is projected to possibly look like for the College Football Playoff. Among the biggest is how the ACC, with how their conference has ended up this fall, could end up impacting the back of the bracket in the CFP

On ‘First Take’ on Friday, Stephen A. Smith went in on the Atlantic Coast Conference in a discussion with Desmond Howard. With an ACC Championship of Virginia vs. Duke, with Duke possibly missing the playoff even with a win, and with Miami also currently on the outside looking in, Smith criticized the current state of the ACC.

“How in the hell, what the hell is wrong with the ACC?” Smith asked. “Duke is 7-5, have lost five games but they’re playing in the conference championship against Virginia. Virginia has got two losses, but they’re ranked 17th in the country. Miami has got two losses, but they’re ranked 12th in the country. I mean, damn! It makes no sense. What is that conference?!”

Based on the latest look at the playoff, the ACC could end up out of the College Football Playoff. Virginia could end those concerns with a win tomorrow night, but, if Duke were to win, it’d give the chance for two champions out of the Group of Five to be in instead, with the expectation being the champs out of the American, whether Tulane or North Texas, and the Sun Belt if it were to be James Madison. That’s without getting into the discussion around Miami, who remains out as of now despite their argument that is mostly led by their opening win over Notre Dame.

All that said, Howard answered, and said this is among the results of this expanded format of the College Football Playoff. Expansion came, and one of the only things it did is shift where the debate is with who gets in or who ends up out of the CFP.

“See, I’m so glad you said it makes no sense, because I’ve been telling people in our meetings all the time. We’re put on TV to try to make sense out of nonsense, and you’re exactly right. You know, this whole thing was celebrated when it went from four to twelve, and you had this group who secretly met in private to try to get all this done and then they were really celebrated – ah, we went from four teams to twelve teams, as if they really accomplished something. I’m the only one who sat back and said, you know what, you didn’t do a damn thing because the problem isn’t the number. The problem is the selection process,” said Howard. “Unless you’ve changed the selection process, all you did was, when it was four teams, you had the team at the number five slot, six slot, and seven slot? Those teams had a gripe. Now, since you’ve got twelve teams, you got the team in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth slots. All you did is added more teams, but you still got the same exact problem.”

“So, with the ACC, that is crazy what is going on with Duke and with Virginia and with Miami, but that’s the system that they rolled out and everybody was so about,” said Howard. “They applauded it – this is great, we have twelve teams! But now you see, absolutely, what we’re dealing with, and the problems that it presents.”

The ACC still obviously has ways into the playoff, specifically with a win for Virginia and/or a won debate from the committee by Miami. Still, especially amongst those in the Power Four, this is a concerning spot to find themselves in again with the ACC.