By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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This year, more than ever, it is difficult to keep tabs on which teams are still mathematically alive for a trip to Charlotte, as well as how those teams go about winning the that ticket.

Chaos in the Coastal Division is simply par for the course when it comes to determining which program gets to make the trip to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game.

This year, more than ever, it is difficult to keep tabs on which teams are still mathematically alive for a trip to Charlotte, as well as how those teams go about winning the that ticket.

To help clarify the situation as best as possible, here is a simplified look at what each Coastal Division team must do to face Florida State on December 7.

Duke

Duke is the only team which controls its own destiny for the trip to Charlotte. If the Blue Devils win against Wake Forest and North Carolina, they will win the Coastal Division outright. A loss to North Carolina would automatically knock the Blue Devils out of contention, although they would still make it to Charlotte if they lose to Wake Forest, given that Miami wins both of its final two games.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies situation is undoubtedly the most complicated. First off, Virginia Tech absolutely must win its regular season finale against Virginia to even have a chance of going to Charlotte. If that happens, the Hokies then need to hope that either Duke loses its regular season finale against North Carolina, or Duke loses to Wake Forest and Miami drops at least one more game.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets have already finished conference play with a 5-3 record, so their fate is completely dependent on how the other teams in the division fare with their respective schedules. In order for Georgia Tech to win the division, Virginia Tech must lose to Virginia, and both Duke and Miami must lose at least one of the their remaining games.

Miami

The Hurricanes only have one scenario which leads to them going to Charlotte: Miami must win out, Duke must lose to North Carolina and Virginia Tech must lose to Virginia.

North Carolina

Although the Tar Heels could still finish in a tie atop the standings, they have been mathematically eliminated from representing the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game.