Football
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Clemson is headed to the College Football Playoff.
Faced with a win-and-in situation in the ACC Championship, Clemson did just that by earning a 34-31 victory over SMU via a 56-yard game-winning field goal from Nolan Hauser.
Clemson Football @ClemsonFB
.@nolanhauser CALLED GAME! TIGERS WIN! https://t.co/afPgKzB8SY pic.twitter.com/9a5zypOar0
Clemson Football @ClemsonFB
The Clemson Tigers are the 2024 ACC CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/4lIPZx83Te
The Tigers jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead and would enter the final quarter up 31-10. However, the Mustangs put together an excellent fourth quarter to nearly pull of the victory.
Clemson produced 326 offensive yards and forced two SMU turnovers. The rushing attack had just 62 yards but quarterback Cade Klubnik took charge in leading the offense.
Clemson Football @ClemsonFB
FAST START! ????
Watch on ABC: https://t.co/VtYbyzuRjT https://t.co/2zRbfJzU4u pic.twitter.com/MdKlaBLP3p
ACC Network @accnetwork
BRYANT WESCO JR. WITH A 43-YARD TOUCHDOWN TO PUT CLEMSON UP 14 ????
The Tigers offense is cookin’ in the ACC title game ???? pic.twitter.com/i8f9biP7Kk
Klubnik went 24-of-41 for 262 yards with four touchdowns on the day. His connection with wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. was especially potent as the true freshman had eight catches for 142 yards and two touchdown.
Klubnik tossed three of his touchdowns in the first quarter, becoming the first player to throw three touchdown passes in a single quarter in the history of the ACC Championship Game.
Clemson Athletics @ClemsonTigers
Cade Klubnik just became the first player to throw three touchdown passes in any single quarter in ACC Championship Game history! ????#GoTigers || @ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/4d2I2G70P4
However, the hero of the day was Hauser, who hit the longest field goal of his career and the longest in ACC Championship history at the most crucial time.
Fans took to social media to praise his clutch kick.
Jarod Hernandez @JarodHernandez
Hauser absolutely BOOTED that thing.
Just gotta make it to the dance! What a wild season for Clemson.
Matthew @ThisIsMatthew97
CLEMSON IS GOING TO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF OFF THE LEG OF NOLAN HAUSER
Dylan Kanner @DKanner10
“One of the great high school kickers in the history of the United States” pic.twitter.com/MOA2Hlaz2u
The Clemson victory also complicates the playoff field selection for Sunday. Clemson would not have qualified with a loss but their inclusion will mean that a team that was in line to make the playoff will be left out.
That could be SMU, who fall to 11-2 and were ranked No. 8 heading into the game. It also could be Alabama, who entered the weekend as the last team expected to qualify and did not play in a Conference Championship Game.
Fans took to social media to revel in the chaos and debate who should be included.
Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbach
The 12-team College Football Playoff is already awesome for the sport.
It ruined nothing.
Stewart Mandel @slmandel
After Tuesday I pledged to never, ever predict Alabama to miss the Playoff again, but man, if they knock SMU out for losing on a 56-yard FG there may never be another conference championship game.
RedditCFB @RedditCFB
The playoff picture is now simple.
SMU has earned the final at-large spot.
If Alabama jumps them, it’s the most corrupt moment in a sport with a long history of corruption. Buckle up.
MattBeGreat @mattbegreatyt
The CFP Committee getting ready to put Alabama in the playoff regardless of what happens in the SMU/Clemson game pic.twitter.com/HnBQr07DT5
RedditCFB @RedditCFB
Bama and Clemson being the first 3-loss teams ever to make the Playoff actually feels like a poignant transition from the 4 to 12-team eras. ????
Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbach
Dabo Swinney: “That’s a Playoff team. SMU, they better be in the dang Playoff.”
Bryan J. Harvey @SoBeeHarv
SMU is a playoff team. That’s a good football team! That was a FANTASTIC game between Clemson and SMU. #CLEMvsSMU
Andy Hutchins @AndyHutchins
Two Playoff teams lost 34-3 and beat Idaho by 10 in Week 1. One of those teams won by three in Week 2; two others lost to Northern Illinois and beat Bowling Green by seven.
A game of second chances, now.
MileHighGreco @MileHighGreco
They’ll make sure Alabama gets in. https://t.co/J947fx0e6W
Jason Shetler @Jason_Shetler
Don’t care that SMU lost the ACC title game, on a walkoff FG, you can’t put a 3-loss Alabama team over them, in the CFB playoff. The committee will try to, but you can’t.
Caleb Nixon @calebnixonmedia
In the last year of the four team playoff, the committee left out undefeated Florida State.
One year later — my prediction — SMU loses in the #ACC Championship on a 56 yard field goal, and they will be left out.
They always favor the SEC and Alabama and that will never change????????♂️
##. @PLEASEDNTTALK
i believe alabama is better than smu but it’s hard for me to have sympathy for a team with vandy & oklahoma losses i’m sorry
ayden @aydenfranco_
I am not a betting man. But hammer Alabama https://t.co/KeVS9deGxr
Juevos Banchero @JuevosBanchero
If Alabama gets in, the committee makes it abundantly clear the SEC comes first, and conference title games are a liability.
I’ll be genuinely shocked if they go down this road. This is the first year of the expanded field. They need good press.
Judge Alan King @JudgeAlanKing
There is no way the CFP will look at SMUs resume and see that the only two ranked teams they played were 18 BYU and 17 Clemson, which they lost both of, and still think they are better than Alabama who has a win against the SEC champion.
Sam Gutkin @sguts41
Wait so the last playoff spot is going to come down to Alabama vs an ACC team who deserved it way more?
Oh no I think I’ve seen this one before
Joshua Ragsdale @R6ggyJ
As an Alabama grad and an SMU fan, I don’t think there’s an outcome tomorrow that doesn’t result in a little bit of me dying on the inside
It will be an interesting debate among the playoff committee and the 2023 exclusion of ACC Champion Florida State has many wondering if a similar decision will be made.
The field will be finalized on Sunday and will be released at noon E.T.
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