Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard field goal as time expired lifted Clemson to a 34–31 win over SMU in the ACC championship game.
With the win, Clemson shook up the College Football Playoff standings by earning an automatic berth into the College Football Playoff as a conference champion.
SMU tied the game at 31–31 with 16 seconds remaining in regulation with Kevin Jennings hitting Roderick Daniels Jr. on an out route for a four-yard TD. The play was reviewed, but Daniels clearly dragged his right foot in bounds for the catch.
The Tigers’ win created a couple of questions going into Sunday’s selection.
Did Clemson earn a first-round bye with its victory? At 10–3, that seems unlikely. Speculation had SMU getting a bye by winning the ACC, but the Mustangs would’ve had a 12–1 record. The committee probably didn’t just save a bye for the ACC champion.
And what about SMU? Did the loss knock them out of the playoff despite a 10–2 record? Clemson’s win and Arizona State winning the Big 12 championship game take two spots that many speculated would go to 9–3 Alabama or 10–2 Miami.
“Listen. That’s a playoff football team. SMU, they better be in the dang playoffs. What a comeback by those guys.”
Dabo Swinney on SMU pic.twitter.com/rNAvG0evAM
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 8, 2024
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made his case for SMU in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Molly McGrath.
“That’s a playoff football team,” Swinney said as he pointed across the field. “SMU, they better be in the dang playoffs.”