The Blue Devils, who have five losses on the season, were sent to the ACC championship game thanks to multiple factors on unfolding on the final day of the 2025 college football regular season. The officially cashed in on their long-shot with SMU’s missed field goal vs. California.
It’s the first trip to the conference championship for Duke under Manny Diaz, and the program’s first trip to the ACC championship game since 2013, when the Blue Devils fell to eventual national champion Florida State 45-7.
The Blue Devils will face No. 17 Virginia (No. 18 in College Football Playoff rankings) at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they will play for a trip to the 12-team CFP.
But on top of getting some help from Cal, how did Duke get into the conference title game when it has five overall losses on the season and went 6-2 in ACC play?
Here’s what to know on how Duke made the ACC championship game:
How did Duke football make ACC championship game?
Beat Wake Forest
Pitt loss to Miami
SMU loss to Cal
For starters, the Blue Devils entered Week 14 needing to catch breaks — a Pitt loss to Miami and an SMU loss to Cal — on top of winning their own Week 14 game against Wake Forest.
Despite being out-gained on the day, Duke handled business by picking up a 49-32 win over Wake Forest. The Blue Devils turned four turnovers into 14 points in the win, while quarterback Darian Mensah and running backs Nate Sheppard and Anderson Castle all scored two touchdowns each.
Then, before even kicking off at Wallace Wade Stadium, the Blue Devils got some help from No. 13 Miami (No. 12 in CFP, as Carson Beck and Co. defeated No. 24 Pitt (No 22 in CFP), 38-7. There’s leg two of the parlay.
Then came the final leg of the parlay, as SMU fell 38-35 on the road to Cal. Mustangs kicker Sam Keltner missed the 52-yard game-tying field goal attempt as time expired to give Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Cal the upset win over the No. 25 team in the country.
Following all that, the Blue Devils will make the 142-mile drive over to Charlotte from Durham. That gave Duke the tiebreaker because of a higher conference opponent winning percentage than Miami, SMU, Pitt and Georgia Tech.
ACC football standings
1. Virginia (7-1) *
T-2. Duke (6-2)
T-2. Miami (6-2)
T-2. Georgia Tech (6-2)
T-2. SMU (6-2)
T-2. Pitt (6-2)
T-7. Louisville (4-4)
T-7. Wake Forest (4-4)
T-7. NC State (4-4)
T-7. Cal (4-4)
T-7. Clemson (4-4)
12. Stanford (3-5)
T-13. Florida State (2-6)
T-13. Virginia Tech (2-6)
T-13. North Carolina (2-6)
T-16. Boston College (1-7)
T-16. Syracuse (1-7)
* ACC title game participants