ACC Championship Game set between SMU, Clemson

The ACC Championship Game is officially set — the SMU Mustangs will face off against the Clemson Tigers next weekend, with the right to be called conference champions on the line.

First, the Mustangs clinched their spot following Week 13, when they 33-7 win at Virginia. They had to wait a bit to find out who their opponent would be, underscoring what an impressive first season in the ACC it was for Rhett Lashlee and SMU. Now, they can cap it off with a conference title.

On the other hand, Clemson had to wait until Week 14 to clinch their spot in the game. The Tigers needed to either get a win over South Carolina or a Miami loss to Syracuse to punch their ticket. They got the latter as the Hurricanes saw their 21-point lead vanish and the Orange come away with the 42-38 victory.

Whichever team stands tall at the end of the ACC Championship Game will be headed to the College Football Playoff. The conference’s journey towards crowning their 2024 champion is almost at the end, and the team that receives the honor will be looking to show the world what it means to play in the ACC.

Last season’s ACC champions, the undefeated Florida State Seminoles, didn’t receive that chance, as they were left out of the College Football Playoff by the Selection Committee in favor of the Alabama Crimson Tide. While many would agree it was ultimately the correct choice, it served as a reminder why an expanded field was needed.

The ACC has been the forgotten conference, it seems, over the past couple of seasons, as the Big Ten and SEC have taken centerstage in college football. Still, they’ll have their seat at the table all the same, and the chance to crash the party when the time comes.

Alas, it’ll all come to a head next weekend, as this season’s iteration of the showdown will mark No. 20 for the ACC Football Championship Game. The event will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. It’ll be broadcasted from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.