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.
Follow along LIVE as Clemson and SMU battle for the ACC Championship.
How to watch Clemson vs. SMU live
Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium -- Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
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 of what happens, but a loss would put its fate entirely in the hands of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. The Mustangs would have to hope that, with 11 wins, they've already done enough to make the cut. If the committee is to be believed, when it said that conference championship losses wouldn't hurt playoff-caliber teams too much, then SMU should feel good.
SMU enjoying breakout season: This has been one of the most prolific years in SMU's storied history. The Mustangs are one of just two FBS schools, with Oregon, to go undefeated in conference play in their first year with a conference. SMU and the Ducks are also the first programs to achieve that feat since Florida State in 1992. SMU also has an opportunity to become the third FBS program to win back-to-back championships in different conferences, something that hasn't been accomplished since Texas won the Southwest in 1995 and the Big 12 in 1996. SMU also won 11 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history and -- if it gets a 12th win -- would match a school record set in 1935. SMU's 18-game win streak against conference opponents is the longest such active streak in the FBS.
Clemson defense struggling: "Struggling" is a relative term, given how good Clemson has been on defense under Dabo Swinney. The Tigers are allowing 21.6 points per game this season, which is decent enough on its own, but it's also the most they have allowed in a single season since 2015. Clemson is giving up 357.2 yards per game -- its most since 2012 -- and the Tigers have struggled particularly against the rush with opponents averaging 150.3 yards on the ground per game. That's the most Clemson has allowed in 11 years. Again, these aren't terrible numbers on their own, but they are a far cry from what we're used to with Clemson.
Clemson vs. SMU prediction, picks
This will be, arguably, the biggest test that SMU has faced all season -- at least since its loss to BYU in Week 2. That being said, Clemson has some obvious shortcomings this year. As outlined above, its defense isn't quite up to its normal elite standard and, though the Tigers have shown an ability to put points on the board this year, their offense is entirely too inconsistent to count on. The Mustangs have been a dominant force for a majority of the year, and I expect them to keep things rolling in this game. It will be a close, hard-fought battle, but SMU triumphs in the end. Pick: SMU -2 (-135)
SportsLine's proven computer model is calling for three outright upsets during college football's championship week. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every matchup 10,000 times.
