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The 2024 ACC Championship Game will pit Clemson against SMU on Saturday, Dec. 7 in Charlotte. With both teams entering Week 14 inside the top 12 of the most recent CFP Rankings, the winner is almost assured one of the automatic bids to the College Football Playoff, while the loser will battle with other at-large candidates for the final spots in the 12-team field.
The matchup was officially finalized with Miami’s loss at Syracuse in the regular-season finale, leaving Clemson alone in second place with a 7-1 record in conference play. The Tigers wrapped their regular season in disappointing fashion with a 17-14 rivalry defeat against South Carolina, losing on a Cade Klubnik interception in the end zone with 12 seconds left to go in the game. As disappointing as the defeat was for the Tigers, it didn’t affect their standing in the ACC as it was a nonconference matchup.
Meanwhile, SMU already clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game prior to the weekend but capped off a first-place regular season finish with a win against Cal to round out an 8-0 showing in the Mustangs’ first-ever season of ACC play. Rhett Lashlee has now led this program to back-to-back 8-0 conference records in two different leagues, and next Saturday in Charlotte, he will have a chance to make some conference realignment-fueled history with consecutive conference titles in two different leagues.
Here’s what you need to know SMU and Clemson ahead of next week’s ACC title game.
What to know about SMU
SMU is 11-1 overall, but its only…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2024-acc-championship-game-clemson-vs-smu-matchup-set-as-miami-loss-to-syracuse-opens-door-for-tigers/
Author : Chip Patterson
Publish date : 2024-12-01 00:30:00
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