By the time kickoff arrives for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night at Charlotte, N.C., much of the potential shifting among the top of the projected College Football Playoff rankings will have taken place.
But there will be a huge matter still to settle: No. 8 SMU meets No. 17 Clemson for the ACC title and an automatic bid in the 12-team playoff field.
There has been plenty of grumbling about the ACC’s plight, particularly if SMU loses and leaves its fate to be determined by the selection committee.
“I think SMU should be in no matter what,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “They have a great team and they’ve had a heck of a year.”
Clemson (9-3) has its own situation to consider, though the Tigers must win Saturday to be in the playoff mix.
“We didn’t accomplish all of our goals during the regular season, but we’ve got two goals left: Win the conference and win the closer,” Swinney said. “If we do that, we’ll be national champions.”
With that, Swinney’s optimism could overshadow any pessimism connected to the ACC showdown.
“We were the first 15-0 national championship team,” Swinney said of the 2018 season. “Maybe we can be the first three-loss national championship team. Boy, that would upset some people.”
SMU (11-1) already has cultivated a special season as a newcomer in the ACC.
“Pretty cool for our first year in the league,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said. “To go 8-0 in any conference is tough.”
SMU is on a nine-game winning streak, joining Oregon as the only FBS teams in the country to go undefeated in conference play. The Mustangs were 8-0 in the ACC; the Ducks were 9-0 in the Big Ten.
Clemson had its chances for an at-large bid into the CFP dashed with Saturday’s 17-14 home loss to rival South Carolina, but the Tigers can claim the ACC’s automatic spot by winning the title game.
“We would’ve been happy playing anybody, but I think what Coach Swinney and Clemson have done, that’s what we want to build our program to be,” Lashlee said. “If you want to win the (ACC) championship, you’re probably going to have to go through them.”
Clemson landed a spot in the ACC championship because Syracuse knocked off Miami last weekend.
“We have another opportunity,” Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz said. “Sitting around dwelling on the South Carolina loss isn’t going to help.”
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has thrown for 19 touchdowns and is the team’s second-leading rusher. Clemson has had challenges dealing with running quarterbacks. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers rushed for 166 yards with two touchdowns against the Tigers.
“Certainly, things you try to do but sometimes their guy just wins a matchup,” Swinney said. “There’s always things you try to do, but No. 1 we’ve just got to tackle.”
SMU has a diverse attack, with Brashard Smith an All-ACC first team selection at running back. He ran for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns during the season.
While Clemson is almost a regular participant in the title game for the past dozen years, SMU will try to add to its first-season accomplishments while playing in basically the Tigers’ backyard.
“Obviously, Clemson has got a great fan base. They travel well,” Lashlee said. “We’re used to it.”
SMU should mostly be at full strength. It’s even possible that receiver Romello Brinson, who has been out for weeks, could be available.
Clemson’s injury list for this weekend could include safety R.J. Mickens, but Swinney said he’s hopeful that defensive back Shelton Lewis is back.
–Field Level Media