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Clemson football has entered the College Football Playoff chat. Correction, the Tigers have officially shaken up the CFP party after beating SMU in dramatic, closing fashion in Charlotte.
Nolan Hauser, needing 56 yards to lift the Tigers to victory, watched the football sail between the uprights. That walk-off field goal completed the epic 34-31 victory over the Mustangs, plus handed the Atlantic Coast Conference title to Clemson. Plus, Clemson won after coming in as an underdog against a red-hot SMU team.
Hauser's boot came amid a sudden comeback charge by the ACC newcomer SMU. The Mustangs erased a 31-17 deficit and tied things up at 31 with under 30 seconds left. Kevin Jennings hit Roderick Daniels Jr. on a four-yard connection, capping off a long 16-play drive. Clemson answered by getting the ball close enough for Hauser to hit the final attempt.
Did Clemson football eliminate one aspiring CFP playoff team?
Clemson heads to the playoffs as the ACC champion. And now, many fans believe the Tigers just eliminated one aspiring playoff contender.
“Clemson just knocked Alabama out of the CFP,” said former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III on X.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic is another who believes Clemson knocked off Alabama.
“Clemson is in. SMU should be in. A 3-loss Alabama team with two losses to 6-6 teams should not be in. That's my take,” Vannini posted. “Will the committee agree? I don't know.”
Barstool Sports is one more believing Clemson is crashing the party.
Clemson shares the same number of losses with the Crimson Tide. But the new argument is the Tigers won their conference, plus have one more victory that ‘Bama.
The Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney don't have to worry about getting snubbed by the CFP committee. But even Swinney himself sounded off on SMU's chances. He told reporters “they better be in the dang playoff.”
Clemson and SMU will learn their official playoff fates on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
