Clemson beats SMU, boosts Arizona State’s chances for CFP bye

The No. 17 Clemson Tigers defeated No. 8 SMU 34-31 in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, putting Arizona State in prime position for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket.

Clemson was up big in the first half, but the Mustangs clawed their way back to tie it late in the fourth quarter. With 16 seconds remaining, Clemson got the ball back, drove down the field and kicked a 56-yard game-winning field goal.

Entering the day, SMU held a first-round bye at the No. 3 seed. With their loss to Clemson, the Mustangs could be booted from the CFP entirely. The question now is if Clemson takes over that guaranteed bye as a conference champion, or if Arizona State jumps into that spot. ASU was ranked ahead of Clemson for the rankings coming into the weekend.

The Sun Devils on Saturday took down Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship, clinching a spot in the CFP and clinching one of the best seasons in the program’s recent memory.

Arizona State went 11-2 on the season, with one of those losses being without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham made it clear that Arizona State deserves to be in discussion for that bye.

“I think our play, we’re 11-1 with our starting quarterback having beat four ranked teams, having won the Big 12 Championship,” Dillingham said postgame Saturday. “So, I do think because we’ve made a standard that the quarterback is that valuable, I think there should be a real chance that we get a first-round bye, and I definitely think we should (at least) host a game.”

At the start of Saturday, Arizona State would’ve been a 12-seed in the bracket, and with a win on Saturday along with SMU’s loss, there’s a good chance Arizona State could essentially host a CFP game if granted the No. 4 seed for the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. There’s even a shot the Sun Devils go to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

The SEC and Big Ten have locked up first-round byes for their champions, but the final two spots (SMU, Boise State) are still uncertain. Boise State, which currently holds the No. 4 seed, took down UNLV in the Mountain West Championship on Friday, giving them a good case to keep their first-round bye.

Nonetheless, Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement regarding her thoughts on the matter.

“Participation in the College Football Playoff isn’t about entitlement,” Nevarez said in the statement. “It should not be contingent upon a conference patch or the logo on the helmet. It’s based on performance and Mountain West champion Boise State’s body of work this season, including an 11-game win streak, has earned it one of the top four seeds ahead of the Big 12 champion.”

The first round of the CFP is set to kick off Dec. 20, and the quarterfinal matchups are scheduled to take place New Year’s weekend.

Arizona State’s fate awaits as the 12-team bracket will be revealed on Sunday at 10 a.m. on ESPN. Follow along on the Arizona Sports app and online.