No. 8 SMU will take on No. 17 Clemson in the ACC championship game Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and there are some major College Football Playoff impacts of this game with the first 12-team field.
So let’s get into what’s at stake here.
For SMU, an ACC championship would move the Mustangs to 12-1 on the season, they almost certainly wouldn’t drop — but could definitely rise — in the rankings and, because the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded as Nos. 1-4 and get a first-round bye, they’d likely end up getting to bypass the opening round of games.
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For Clemson, the Tigers winning the ACC title game would make them 10-3, lock them into the playoff with the conference’s automatic bid as a Power Four conference champ and put the Mustangs’ playoff chances into serious jeopardy. A win would also likely give Clemson a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champs — barring something spectacular from the Big 12 title game.
If SMU beats Clemson, it would likely lock No. 11 Alabama (9-3) into the playoff.
If Clemson beats SMU, the College Football Playoff committee would have to choose between SMU and Alabama. If the Mustangs lose a very close game and look strong, they could get the edge over the Crimson Tide, but if it’s a Tigers’ blowout win, we’re guessing the committee will go with Alabama.
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