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 loss of the season was back in Week 2 to a BYU team that not only has proven to be among the better power-conference teams in the country, but also got the best of the Mustangs before a season-defining quarterback change. Preston Stone was the incumbent starter bouncing back from a late-season injury and started the year sharing snaps with Kevin Jennings, but after the loss to the Cougars, Lashlee announced that Jennings would be the full-time QB1. Since then, SMU has scored 30-plus points in eight of nine games, with a 28-27 win at Duke being the only offensive blemish and a game plagued by six turnovers.
But it’s not just Jennings and it’s not just the offense. SMU did a good job of loading up on transfer portal talent to prepare for the jump to a power conference. The Mustangs improved along the defensive line and have been able to rely on the defense as a whole for some key stops in conference play. It’s a team that plays with great aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, highlighted by their athleticism, and when SMU starts running away with a game it can be difficult to catch up. That makes Saturday’s matchup even more intriguing, because Miami is not only the toughest ACC team SMU has played all season, but the one with the most comparable makeup in terms of style and speed.
What to know about Clemson
It’s not the most triumphant way to enter the ACC Championship Game, but good work earlier in the season opened the door for Clemson compete for a conference title in the friendly confines of Charlotte, N.C.. Dabo Swinney has won seven ACC titles in Bank America Stadium since 2015 and eight overall, so expect the Clemson faithful to show up strong as they look to rebound from the frustrating regular season finale.
In addition to its championship pedigree, Clemson brings in a game-changing quarterback in Cade Klubnik, who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2022 ACC Championship Game as a freshman. Klubnik is among the nation’s leaders in passing touchdowns with 29 and with his next touchdown toss will become the first Clemson quarterback with 30 passing touchdowns in a season since Trevor Lawrence in 2019. The Tigers have also lived up to their program reputation this season with a disruptive defensive front, led by sophomore defensive end T.J. Parker who is among the ACC leaders in sacks. When it comes to slowing SMU’s offense down, Clemson will need that group to answer the call as the Mustangs present one of the most explosive offenses that defense has faced all season long.