ACC Championship Game Preview: No. 8 SMU Versus No. 18 Clemson

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks on before an NCAA college football game against South Carolina in Clemson, S.C., on Nov. 30, 2024. Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo

It’s conference championship weekend in college football. On Tuesday night we'll learn the new standings for the College Football Playoff, which sets the table for what’s at stake in some of these incredible matchups. There are teams that “should” be in already, but upsets in conference championship games could throw any comfort level out for teams that don’t win this weekend (and Notre Dame).

We’ve already looked ahead to the Big Ten Championship Game and the SEC Championship Game. Both teams in the Big Ten game will likely make the College Football Playoff. In the cases of the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), one of the teams involved might need to win their respective conference championship game to secure a berth.

What the ACC shares in common with the Big Ten and SEC: the better-seeded team is competing in their first year in the conference. Oregon (Big Ten) and Texas (SEC) aren’t in the “locale” of their conference’s history, and SMU is also in that category in the ACC.

Here’s the tale of the tape looking ahead to Saturday night’s ACC title game.

ACC Championship Game

No. 18 Clemson (9–3) versus No. 8 SMU (11–1) 8:00 p.m. ET Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

Team Offense

SMU

• 441.8 yards/game (5th in ACC)
• 39.2 points/game (2nd in ACC)
• 177.9 rush yards/game (7th in ACC)

Clemson

• 465.7 yards/game (2nd in ACC)
• 35.7 points/game (4th in ACC)
• 190.6 rush yards/game (1st in the ACC)

The Quarterbacks

SMU: Kevin Jennings—66.7 percent comp., 2,746 yards, 19 touchdowns, 7 INT, 344 rush yards, 4 rush TDs

Clemson: Cade Klubnik—64.2 percent comp., 3,041 yards, 29 TDs, 5 INT, 437 rush yards, 7 rush TDs

Impact Players

SMU: RB Brashard Smith—1,157 rush yards, 269 receiving yards, 17 total TDs (14 rush, 3 rec)

Clemson: WR Antonio Williams—788 receiving yards 101 rush yards, 11 total TDs (10 rec, 1 rush)

Team Defense

SMU

• 18.8 pts/game (1st in ACC)
• 326.1 yards/game (2ndin the ACC)
• 95.8 rush yards/game (1st in the ACC)

Clemson

• 21.6 pts/game (2nd in ACC)
• 357.2 yards/game (6th in ACC)
• 150.3 rush yards/game (14th in the ACC)

Best Win(s)

SMU

• 34–27 at Louisville (Oct. 5)
• 48–25 versus Pitt (Nov. 3)

Clemson

• 59–35 versus NC State (Sept. 21)

Who Has the Advantage?

Honestly, the CFP committee needed Miami to be in this game. But they failed.

Here’s the problem with this game: SMU is a one-loss team in a Power 5 conference without a big, signature win. Frankly, their resume is incredibly similar to Indiana’s in the Big Ten. But they have to play a Clemson team that has three losses (only one in-conference loss gets them here) and the Tigers also lack any significant win on their resume.

If Clemson wins, the College Football Playoff is absolute chaos as a three-loss conference champion will crash the party and bump out a team that likely has a better record. If SMU wins, it confirms that they’re good enough to get a shot. But are they a good enough team to deserve the bye they’ll likely receive by virtue of being one of the four highest-ranked conference champions?