Jim Phillips says SMU ‘unequivocally’ deserves CFP spot regardless of ACC Championship outcome
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Jim Phillips, the commissioner of the ACC, stated his case for SMU on Thursday. The SMU Mustangs ended the regular season with an 11-1 record and earned a spot in the ACC Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers.
In the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the Mustangs came in at the No. 8 spot. With a win in the championship game, the Mustangs are locked in. However, there’s a possibility the team could miss the Playoff entirely with a loss to Clemson.
“Unequivocally, SMU should be in the field. Period,” said Phillips on the ACC Network. “They’re 11-1. They’re 8-0 in the league. The only power conference teams that went unblemished in conference play are Oregon and SMU.”
The lone loss on the Mustangs’ schedule came to BYU who finished the season 10-2. Of the teams with a shot to make the CFP, SMU ranks ahead of Arizona State, Boise State, Iowa State, and Clemson in ESPN’s Football Power Index.
“If they lose to a top-20 Clemson team, nothing has changed,” said Phillips. “An 11-2, ACC undefeated team in our league would then be potentially leapfrogged by a 9-3 team? That’s not going to work.”
Notably, the ACC had a 13-0 Florida State team get left out of the 4-team Playoff in 2023 in favor of Alabama. A similar scenario could take place in 2024 as the Crimson Tide are again knocking on the door of the Playoff.
Of course, if the Mustangs win the ACC Championship Game, none of this will matter. The Mustangs and Tigers will kick off from Charlotte on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
“SMU should be in the field. Period.”
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips states why @SMUFB should be in the CFB Playoff. pic.twitter.com/ayAn1fUQko
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 5, 2024
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
