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No. 17 Clemson and No. 8 SMU are set to face off Saturday evening inside Charlotte, North Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium with an ACC title on the line. Though they now share the ACC, this will be the first-ever between two of college football’s most storied programs.
It’s been quite the ACC debut for the Mustangs, who are one of five FBS schools to make their conference’s championship game in their inaugural year with said conference. SMU is also the first team in FBS history to make a title game in a power conference after being in a Group of Five conference the year prior.
Clemson is back in the ACC spotlight for the first time since 2022 and just the second time since 2020. This after Clemson won six straight ACC titles from 2015-20. The Tigers also claimed two national championships in that span while establishing an impressive modern dynasty.
Saturday is another opportunity for Tigers coach Dabo Swinney, who has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, to prove that his program — and philosophy — are still ready to battle it out at the top of the sport. The Tigers are 3-7 in their last 10 games against AP-ranked opponents, including an 0-2 showing against ranked teams in 2024.
Clemson vs. SMU: Need to know
Major College Football Playoff implications: Thanks to an expanded College Football Playoff field, there’s a whole lot more than ACC glory on the line Saturday. Clemson absolutely needs to win the ACC title to make it into the playoff and likely steal a bid from another league. Even then, there’s the potential that the Tigers do not get a first-round bye, since they currently rank behind the potential SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Mountain West Conference champions.
SMU, meanwhile, is in decent standing regardless…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/clemson-vs-smu-prediction-pick-spread-acc-championship-game-odds-where-to-watch-tv-channel-live-stream/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2024-12-06 17:14:00
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