CHARLOTTE – Tonight’s ACC Championship Game features Clemson and SMU facing off for the first time and the stakes are about as high as they possibly could be.

The No. 17 Tigers (9-3, 7-1) are appearing in the ACC Championship Game for the tenth time, while the Mustangs (10-1, 8-0) are making their first appearance in the program’s inaugural season competing in the conference.

The winner will advance to the College Football Playoff. A first-round bye is also up for grabs for SMU. While the Tigers could secure that bye with a win, the chances are much slimmer.

With the way Clemson dropped last week’s game to the rival Gamecocks, not many are giving this team much of a shot in this one. With some of the inconsistencies seen from Dabo Swinney’s squad throughout the month of November, that is understandable.

Not to mention, SMU is one of the hottest teams in the country, having rolled right through ACC play. The Mustangs bring a high-powered offense with them to Charlotte, along with a very stingy defense.

Since Kevin Jennings took over as the starting quarterback, SMU has not lost. While that passing attack gets a lot of attention, it all starts with the running game. The Mustangs average 178 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry. Running back Brashard Smith leads the charge, picking up six yards per run.

With some of the issues the Tigers have experienced stopping the run, it’s no wonder many are riding with the Mustangs here. Digging a little deeper, I think this is a team Clemson potentially matches up well with.

The style of offense that SMU plays, along with some of the personnel groupings they use, leads me to believe we might see a lot of three-backer sets. That’s when this defense has been at its best, particularly against the run. See the win over Virginia Tech, part of the game against Pitt and the first half against South Carolina.

Make no mistake, the Tigers aren’t going to shut that offense down. SMU will move the ball, meaning it will have to be more of a bend but don’t break type of thing. That means red zone defense could be key.

On the other side of the ball, SMU has a lot of size up front along the defensive line. However, Matt Luke has yet to not have his offensive line ready to play. That group will hold up.

Cade Klubnik will have time, he just needs to deliver the ball and put it where his guys can go and get it. After being snubbed in the All-ACC voting this week, he should be more than motivated. Klubnik has been really good at protecting the football this season and that needs to continue tonight. You can’t give that SMU offense extra possessions.

The Mustangs do field one of the five-best run defenses in the country, so rushing yards could be at a premium. That means Garrett Riley might have to get creative in an effort to open things up. Attack the perimeter and get those big bodies running sideline to sideline. Let Klubnik get involved in the ground game. Lean heavily on him if that’s what it takes.

Clemson’s receivers have an advantage over the Mustangs’ secondary. However, to expose it, that pass rush has to be neutralized. After watching Clemson’s offensive line do just that against South Carolina’s ends last weekend, there’s no reason to think they can’t do the same thing here. Football games are generally won and lost at the line of scrimmage, and while SMU is more than solid in that regard, I think Clemson is a little better.

The Tigers have also been pretty good at forcing turnovers and the Mustangs have put the ball on the ground 21 times this season. To be fair, they’ve only lost 11 of those, but regardless, that’s a lot of fumbles.

To come out victorious, Clemson needs to be sharper than they have been at times over the past month, especially on the offensive side. The Tigers also need to win the turnover battle. I think they do both.

I also think the Tigers much maligned defense has what it takes to win this thing. The Mustangs will move the ball, particularly between the 20’s, but the defense will stiffen up in the red zone and hold them to field goals more often than not.

The question becomes can Klubnik and the offense put enough points on the board to get it done. I think they will. They won’t light it up, but they will do enough. Take the under.

Clemson 27 SMU 23

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!