ACC championship game: Players to know, predictions and more

The ACC championship is by far the most consequential of all the title games on Saturday. When No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson meet in Charlotte, there are multiple playoff spots on the line.

In the most simple terms: if SMU wins, both the Mustangs and Alabama Crimson Tide will punch their ticket to the 12-team College Football Playoff. If Clemson wins, the Tigers will earn the ACC’s automatic berth, leaving the committee to decide between Alabama, SMU and South Carolina for the final at-large bid.

Of course, there’s also a ton of pride at stake, too. Clemson won the conference championship in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The Tigers feel they own the ACC and it’s tough to argue that point. SMU waltzing into the ACC and winning the conference in Year 1 would be quite an ego bruise for the more long-time members.

Players To Watch

Clemson: Cade Klubnik, QB

Klubnik has taken a step forward as a junior, cutting his interceptions nearly in half and piling 10 more scores on his total from last season. Klubnik has thrown for 3,041 yards and 29 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He’s also been more aggressive as a runner this year, totaling 437 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, including his game-winning scramble against Pitt earlier this season that kept the Tigers’ CFP hopes alive.

SMU: Brashard Smith, RB

Smith does it all for SMU’s offense and has proven to be potent as a runner and receiver. He leads the Mustangs’ offense with 1,426 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns, the latter of which leads the ACC. After having a supporting role at Miami for the previous three seasons, Smith has become a star for SMU and has them on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

Staff Picks

Opening Line: Clemson -1.5

Blake Schuster: SMU -2.5

I was all set to pick Clemson until South Carolina turned the Tigers’ defense into Swiss cheese.

Mitchell Northam: Clemson +2.5

I think SMU is good and deserves a CFP spot. Whether the committee agrees with me is another matter. But this is turf that Clemson dominates on, and I think we’re about to witness a classic, “Screw you, we’re still Clemson” type performance. The Tigers are 8-0 in ACC championship games since 2011. Their only loss in Charlotte in that span was in 2021 to Georgia — and SMU ain’t Georgia.

Christian D’Andrea: Clemson +2.5

SMU AIN’T PLAYED NOBODY, PAWLLLLLL.

Michelle Martinelli: Clemson +2.5

I am begging SMU to make me wrong on another pick involving Clemson.

Tyler Nettuno: SMU -2.5

The Mustangs truly have skated by on a weak schedule; there’s no denying it. But they’re also a well-rounded team, and I think this is a good matchup for them.