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The College Football Playoff field is now set as conference championship weekend is over. There were five conference title games with big implications on the College Football Playoff. We saw blowouts, overtime and games that ended on last-second field goals. It was an exciting weekend of football, and the stage is now set for the CFP. The SMU football team is one squad that was in action as they were taking on Clemson in the ACC title game, and the Mustangs lost on a 56-yard field goal as time expired.
This was the first year that the SMU football team is in the ACC, and they nearly won the entire conference in year one. The Mustangs finished the regular season with an 11-1 record and they won every conference game. They played 9-3 Clemson over the weekend, and while SMU was favored, the Tigers won the game.
SMU got off to an incredibly poor start in this game as they were down 14-0 before anyone could even blink. The Tigers got on the board first less than two minutes into the game as Cade Klubnik threw a touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco after a SMU fumble, and then Klubnik found Jake Briningstool just a couple minutes later to make it 14-0.
The Mustangs responded well after going down big as Kevin Jennings had a big touchdown run to make it 14-7, but the defense just couldn't hold up their end of the bargain in the first quarter. Klubnik and Wesco connected on another big pass play before the quarter ended, and Clemson led 21-7 after one.
Clemson did the scoring in the second quarter, but the SMU defense played much better. They only gave up a field goal, but the offense wasn't able to get anything going before the half. The Tigers took a 24-7 lead into the break.
The SMU football team played a lot better in the second half, and their performance in those final 30 minutes could've saved their College Football Playoff spot. Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, but the Mustangs made a furious comeback in the fourth after trailing 31-14.
SMU was able to get the lead back down to 10 at the start of the fourth quarter, and then they were able to kick a field goal to get within a score with a little under seven minutes remaining. The Mustangs were right back in the game.
After another stop, SMU completed the comeback with a touchdown with just 16 seconds remaining. It looked like the game was headed to overtime as Clemson didn't have very much time left, but the Tigers returned the kick off to their own 45 yard line, and they had enough time for two plays. A 17-yard reception set up a 56-yard field goal for the win.
SMU did a great job making a comeback, but they weren't able to get it done. At the end of the day, the only thing to blame is the horrific start.
SMU football can't start big games like that
If the SMU football team gets off to just an okay start in this game, they probably go on to win this one. This Mustangs team is good, and most people were expecting them to win as they were the favorite. However, it's hard to beat good teams when you immediately put yourself into a big hole.
There wasn't just one side of the ball that struggled during this poor start either. The Mustangs just started slow in every facet of the game.
Early on, the offense put the defense into bad positions, and then when the offense got some momentum going, the defense couldn't get a stop. In the second quarter, the defense held it down, and the offense stopped moving the ball. It was a rough half, and they can't afford to have another one like that happen again in the College Football.
Luckily for the Mustangs, they still did enough this year to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Mustangs will take on Penn State in the first round. If they start like they did in the ACC title game on the road in State College, they will not have a chance.
SMU and Penn State will kick off at noon ET on December 21st from Beaver Stadium in State College, PA. The game will be airing on TNT and streaming on Max, and the Nittany Lions are currently favored by nine points.
Conference championship weekend recap
Conference championship weekend is now over, and SMU-Clemson wasn't the only one that provided a lot of excitement. Here is a quick recap of how the other four important conference championship games went down:
Starting off with the non-power four, the important conference championship was in the Mountain West. Boise State has been the best non-power four school all year long, and they locked up a CFP spot and a first round bye on Friday night as they took down UNLV 21-7.
The Big 12 title game kicked things off on Saturday, and that one was an absolute blowout. Arizona State was picked to finish last in the conference this season, and they blew by Iowa State as they won the game 45-19. The Sun Devils are headed to the playoff, and they have a bye in the first round as well.
One of the best games of the weekend was the SEC Championship. Georgia and Texas battled it out for the second time this season as the Bulldogs beat the Longhorns in Austin earlier this year. Texas didn't get the revenge they were looking for as they fell 22-19 in overtime. Both teams are in the playoff, and Georgia gets the bye.
Lastly, the Big Ten title game was a high-scoring thriller. It looked like Oregon was going to pull away in this one, but Penn State kept having an answer and this one came down to the wire. The Ducks eventually earned a 45-7 win, and they are the top overall seed in the playoff. The Nittany Lions still qualified as well.
We have less than two weeks until we get to see the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. It's going to be a fun one.
