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The Clemson Tigers won the ACC Championship on Saturday by upsetting SMU, 34-31. In doing so, the team booked its ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Immediately after the win, the Tigers had rival South Carolina on their minds. Clemson took an online jab at the Gamecocks after securing their spot in the 12-team field.
Just a few short weeks ago, Clemson’s national championship pursuit appeared all but over. They fell in blowout fashion to Georgia and Louisville before losing to South Carolina in the regular season finale.
Despite the hits to the resume, the Tigers backed into the ACC title game after Miami blew a 21-0 lead against Syracuse on the final week of the season. Dabo Swinney’s bunch would then capitalize on the good fortune by besting the Mustangs in Saturday’s championship contest.
In the new 12-team College Football Playoff field, automatic bids are given to Power 4 conference championship winners. That allowed the Tigers to leapfrog teams that had been ranked more highly as they effectively stole the final postseason spot.
One of those schools was South Carolina, who’d had playoff hopes of their own after finishing the season on a six-game winning streak. The Gamecocks were left out despite picking up consideration from national media members towards year’s end. Clemson took the moment to rub their rival’s nose in the omission after the fact!
— Clemson University (@ClemsonUniv) December 8, 2024
Each school finished with identical 9-3 records. The Gamecocks won head-to-head in Clemson’s place. South Carolina now has to watch its hated rival compete for a national title while being sent to a much less meaningful bowl destination. The Tigers have taken joy in that unexpected turn of events! The definition of pain.