The College Football Playoff was finalized after the No. 17 Clemson Tigers won a heart-stopping ACC Championship game against the No.8 SMU Mustangs with an exhausting 56-yard field goal shot as the time ticked out. The scores remained tense until the very end as both sides exchanged baskets to present a spectacle of a contest, where Clemson edged out Charleston 37-34. This success made the Tigers ACC champions and put them firmly in contention for the National Championship.
The man of the match was Clemson’s freshman kicker, Nolan Hauser, who was as calm as a goat when it mattered most. With the time running out and the score still knotted at 34-34, the team undertook to set up a fast drive to get into the throwing range for the game-winning attempt. Before that, Adam Randall made a remarkable 41-yard kickoff return while the precise 17-yard pass from quarterback Cade Klubnik to Antonio Williams prepared the field for Hauser. The crowd remained motionless for a few seconds before erupting into a frenzy as Hauser’s kick clearly went through the uprights.
The game was a dream to watch, with both teams’ high scorers taking turns firing baskets in many overs. It appeared that Clemson had wrestled the initiative away from the Longhorns at the start of the final period when Klubnik threw a touchdown to Jake Briningstool, putting the Tigers ahead 31-21. Nonetheless, SMU did not surrender; instead, quarterback Kevin Jennings spearheaded the fighting Spirit of the Mustangs. Matthew Hibner was the next person that Jennings found, and the two connected for a 20-yard touchdown pass, which made the Mustangs just a score behind.
There are moments in games when a stadium feels close to bursting, and as the final minutes wound down, the atmosphere at Ohio Stadium was about as tight as it could be. SMU then came back to score a tying drive, taking the game to 34-34, and Jennings found Roderick Daniels Jr. for a passing touchdown. This set the stage for Clemson’s last-gasp effort, and Hauser will live on in Tiger history for kicking the winning field goal. It was a good win for Clemson as the team showed that they could stand the heat and that they would need that as they prepared for the playoffs.
This victory does not simply translate to just an ACC Championship win. Clemson’s last-second win and a conference championship have made the team a favorite of the many analysts who now believe the team is capable of beating anyone in a championship game. The fact is that the Tigers might do well under pressure, and they have all the chances to win any team in the playoff folding. As college football fans wait for Selection Sunday, this dramatic win puts Clemson among teams of interest over the coming weeks.