Clemson wins ACC championship, automatic playoff berth on walkoff field goal to defeat SMU, 34–31

Nolan Hauser‘s 56-yard field goal as time expired lifted Clemson to a 34–31 win over SMU in the ACC championship game.

With the win, Clemson shook up the College Football Playoff standings by earning an automatic berth into the College Football Playoff as a conference champion.

SMU tied the game at 31–31 with 16 seconds remaining in regulation with Kevin Jennings hitting Roderick Daniels Jr. on an out route for a four-yard TD. The play was reviewed, but Daniels clearly dragged his right foot in bounds for the catch.

The Tigers’ win created a couple of questions going into Sunday’s selection.

Did Clemson earn a first-round bye with its victory? At 10–3, that seems unlikely. Speculation had SMU getting a bye by winning the ACC, but the Mustangs would’ve had a 12–1 record. The committee probably didn’t just save a bye for the ACC champion.

And what about SMU? Did the loss knock them out of the playoff despite a 10–2 record? Clemson’s win and Arizona State winning the Big 12 championship game take two spots that many speculated would go to 9–3 Alabama or 10–2 Miami.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made his case for SMU in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Molly McGrath.

“That’s a playoff football team,” Swinney said as he pointed across the field. “SMU, they better be in the dang playoffs.”