Breaking Down Every Conference Tiebreaker, So You Don't Have To!

Welcome everyone to the most wonderful time of year! Where not only do have amazing food to enjoy during the Thanksgiving but high-stakes College Football being played around the country!

Yet in this era of College Athletics, with Super Conferences dominating the sport and divisions going away… what used to a straight forward question have become far more complicated over the last few years. That question is, what do certain teams need to do in order to make the conference championship game? Because entering the final week of the regular season, the only two teams that we actually know are competing for its conference championship games (Congratulations to Western Michigan and James Madison). Which is why Rivalry Week that already carries so much emotion into the final week of the Regular Season is going to make the final week of the College Football Season that much more electric.

And because the Tiebreakers are increasingly complicated, I’ve scoured the various conference websites and sports outlets in order to put together every viable team’s path to make their respective conference championship game so that you don’t have to.

So with that being said, check out the Conference Championship Entrance scenarios for every team alive for every FBS Conference! (Updated as of 27 November 2025, 9:50 AM)

CONFERENCE TIEBREAKER SCANERIOS

ACC

• Virginia – Win and In OR SMU AND Pitt Lose + UNC Win
• SMU – Win and In OR Pitt AND Duke Lose AND any of the Following:
  • Virginia and North Carolina both Win
  • Virginia, NC State, and Boston College all Win
  • Virginia Lost, North Carolina + Boston College Win
• Pitt – Must Beat Miami this weekend AND need either Virginia OR SMU to lose this weekend
• Georgia Tech – Need any of the Following To Happen:
  • Pitt wins + Virginia AND SMU both lose
  • Miami + NC State wins AND SMU, Duke, Virginia all lose
  • Miami, North Carolina, and Boston College Win AND SMU, Duke, Virginia all lose
  • Miami, Virginia, NC State, and Boston College all win AND SMU and Duke Lose
• Miami – Win AND one of the following scenarios:
  • Virginia + Duke Lose AND SMU Win
  • SMU, Duke, and Virginia all Lose AND NC State Wins
  • SMU, Duke, and Virginia all Lose AND North Carolina + Syracuse Wins
  • SMU, Duke, and Virginia all Lose AND NorthCarolina + Boston College Wins
  • SMU + Duke Lose AND Virginia, NC State, and Syracuse all Win
  • SMU + Duke Lose AND Virginia, NC State, and Boston College all Win
  • SMU + Virginia Lose AND Duke + NC State Win
  • SMU, Duke, and NC State all Win + Virginia Loss
• Duke – Win + Need Pitt To Lose AND the any of the following to happen:
  • SMU Lose
  • SMU AND Virginia Lose
  • Virginia Lose and North Carolina Wins
  • Virginia Lose and NC State Wins

AMERICAN

• Tulane – Win OR either North Texas or Navy Loses
• North Texas
  • Can Host With Win and Tulane Loss
  • Win + Tulane Win means American Title Game @ Tulane
  • If they Lose vs Temple, Tulane must also lose to potentially make Championship
• Navy
  • Can Host w/ Win AND North Texas + Tulane Loss
  • Can Make Championship w/ Win AND either North Texas OR Tulane lose
  • Could still enter Championship with Memphis Loss IF Tulane also loses
  • Can also still enter Championship with Memphis Loss IF North Texas lose AND either East Carolina OR USF Win
• East Carolina – Win + Two Of Tulane, North Texas, and Navy Lose
• USF - Win + Two Of Tulane, North Texas, and Navy Lose

BIG TEN

• Ohio State – Win OR Indiana + Oregon lose
• Indiana – Win OR Michigan Lose
• Oregon – Win AND Ohio State lose
• Michigan – Win AND either Indiana OR Oregon Lose

BIG 12

• Texas Tech – Win OR Arizona State Lost
• BYU – Win OR Arizona State Lost
  • Can also clinch with Texas Tech Loss AND Arizona State + Utah Win if BYU loses
• Utah – Win AND Texas Tech Loss AND Arizona State + BYU Win
• Arizona State – Win And any of the Following
  • BYU + Utah both lose
  • Texas Tech lose + BYU wins
  • Texas Tech + Utah lose AND BYU wins

C-USA

• Jacksonville State – Beat WKU OR Kennesaw State loses
• Kennesaw State – Win OR Western Kentucky loses
• Western Kentucky – Beat Jacksonville State

MAC

• Western Michigan is already established as Going To Detroit
• WMU’s Opponent could be the following teams:
  • Ohio – Win AND Miami + Toledo Lose
  • Toledo – Win AND One of The Following:
    • Buffalo beats Ohio
    • Ball State beats Miami
  • Central Michigan – Win AND Ohio + Miami lose
  • Miami (OH) – Win AND One of The Following:
    • Toledo and Ohio also win
    • Toledo and Ohio also lose
    • Central Michigan beats Toledo

Mountain West

• San Diego State – Win OR either of the following
  • Both Boise State and UNLV OR
  • 6-2 Computer Metrics favorability
• Boise State – Has 3 Separate Paths:
  • Win and In
  • UNLV + New Mexico Lose
  • 6-2 Computer Metrics Favorability
• New Mexico – 3 Separate Paths
  • Win AND Boise State Loss
  • Win AND 6-2 Computer Metrics Favorability
  • Boise State + UNLV Loss
• UNLV – Has 3 Separate Paths
  • Win AND Boise State + New Mexico Lose
  • Win AND San Diego State Loss
  • Boise State + New Mexico Loss
• Fresno State – Win AND Boise State, New Mexico, and UNLV all need to lose
• Hawaii – Win AND Boise State, New Mexico, and UNLV all need to lose
• Utah State – Win AND New Mexico and UNLV both lose

SEC

• Texas A&M – Win OR Alabama AND Ole Miss Lose
• Alabama – Must Win vs Auburn
• Georgia – Either Texas A&M or Alabama lose
• Ole Miss – Win AND Texas A&M + Alabama lose

Sun Belt

• James Madison – Already Hosting Sun Belt Championship
• Winner of Southern Miss and Troy will face James Madison in Sun Belt Championship