ACC Champion Duke left out of College Football Playoff 2025

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Despite upsetting Virginia in overtime during Saturday's ACC Championship game, the Blue Devils were excluded from the 2025 College Football Playoff.

The selection committee instead chose the two Group of Five champions, Tulane and James Madison, over Duke (8-5).

Duke's resume included seven wins against ACC teams, while James Madison's only game against a Power Four opponent resulted in a loss to ACC member Louisville. Only two of James Madison's victories came against teams with winning records, compared to five for Duke.

"Lost behind the computer algorithms and 'playoff predictors' which cloud human decision making are these two fundamental questions: Would a team that went undefeated in the Sun Belt, which has only four teams with a winning record, win seven games in the ACC? Would a team that won seven games in the ACC, which had 11 teams with a winning record (we played seven) go undefeated in the Sun Belt?" Duke coach Manny Diaz told ESPN on Sunday.

He added, "We are aware of our setbacks that put us at the mercy of the committee, but anyone who truly watches and studies football knows the real answer to the two questions above."

The only ACC team to make the 12-team CFP bracket was Miami.

Here's the full list of the 12 teams that made the bracket

• 1. Indiana Hoosiers (13-0)
• 2. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)
• 3. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1)
• 4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1)
• 5. Oregon Ducks (11-1)
• 6. Ole Miss Rebels (11-1)
• 7. Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)
• 8. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2)
• 9. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3)
• 10. Miami Hurricanes (10-2)
• 11. Tulane Green Wave (11-2)
• 12. James Madison Dukes (12-1)

The first-round games will be played Dec. 19 and Dec. 20 at campus sites of the higher-seeded team. The quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1; TV: ESPN) and semifinals (Jan. 8-9; TV: ESPN) follow at the traditional New Year's Six bowl games, and a national champion will be crowned on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Bowl season kicks off Dec. 13 at noon with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In all, 36 bowl games are scheduled, in addition to the 11 games of the CFP, and 42 of those games will air on the ESPN/ABC family of networks.

Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.