Duke unleashes chaos on CFP with ACC Championship win

Dec 7, 2025 - 12:00

Although Duke likely has not been considered a bracket buster much before in basketball, the Blue Devils certainly brought some madness just before the College Football Playoff’s version of ‘Selection Sunday’.

Late Saturday evening, Duke delivered one of the most consequential upsets of the season, knocking off 17th-ranked Virginia 27-20 in overtime to win the ACC Championship Game and throw a proverbial grenade onto the Cavaliers’ CFP hopes and dreams. With the win, the Blue Devils all but officially eliminated UVA from playoff contention, and, in the process, made some other people elsewhere in Virginia very, very happy.

DUKE TAKES DOWN VIRGINIA TO WIN THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP!
(And James Madison celebrates!)
Sean McDonough with the wild call for ESPN on ABC alongside Greg McElroy. #CFB #CFP #ACCChampionship https://t.co/Oge6kNkpYs pic.twitter.com/BtXzOfoMAh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 7, 2025

While there remains a remote chance that 8-5 Duke itself will leap into the top 25 and become one of the top five-ranked conference champions and thus lock in a spot in the 12-team playoff, it is widely expected that American champion Tulane and Sun Belt champion James Madison will become the final two teams in the CFP bracket when it is revealed Sunday.

The coincidentally named Dukes of JMU, in particular, really needed a Blue Devils win Saturday; at No. 25 in the penultimate rankings, James Madison almost certainly would have been on the outside looking in if Virginia had beaten Duke, considering JMU would have needed to leapfrog either UVA or Tulane to be among the top five-ranked conference champions.

Fortunately for the Dukes, Duke made that happen. And people were loving it.

Duke after winning the ACC championship over Virginia in OT to send the College Football Playoff into total chaos: pic.twitter.com/IF4Tsngx5F
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) December 7, 2025

Were gonna be in the college football playoff. Absolutely insane to even think about pic.twitter.com/iZ5ZFTBl0A
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) December 7, 2025

Us cheering for Duke to beat Virginia so James Madison AND Tulane make the playoff: pic.twitter.com/jfjq94ja9m
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) December 7, 2025

*Duke wins ACC Championship?
*Indiana wins Big Ten Championship?
*Tulane & James Madison both make CFP?
This is not your Daddy’s College Football. pic.twitter.com/7P2intsUfK
— Greg Flugaur (@flugempire) December 7, 2025