Clemson Eyes Second Consecutive ACC Title in Charlotte Matchup

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00:00The ACC championship game tonight in Charlotte, where a

00:04newcomer in the conference is looking for its second

00:07consecutive conference title in an undefeated year in a league

00:12from the American Athletic Conference to the Atlantic

00:16Coast Conference, SMU booked as a favorites have won a ton of

00:21ACC titles in the last decade. In fact, make it seven. SMU

00:26Lacey Guy, first year in the ACC from the AAC, a two and a

00:30half point favorite tonight in Charlotte against Clemson. How

00:33do you start to break down this matchup between the Tigers and

00:36the State? Well, we think defense, right? Automatically,

00:38you go to Clemson and Davos, Sweeney, but it's been the SMU

00:42defense that is more superior and the better unit heading

00:45into this matchup. They're holding opposing offenses less

00:47than 100 yards per game, 2.7 yards per rush have allowed

00:52seven teams, eight teams under 100 yards rushing. So, they're

00:56dominant in terms of run support and 31% in terms of third down

01:00defense. Kevin Jennings, one of the most athletic quarterbacks

01:03in FPS, 19 touchdowns, seven interceptions. I think they're

01:06going to be in this ballgame from start to finish. I think

01:09they're going to come into this matchup with a chip on their

01:11shoulder. They haven't been outclassed or out game plan in

01:14any game. The one loss came to BYU, which we talked about

01:18earlier in the year was an undefeated team and they lost

01:21that home by three. Here's the matchup for me. Inconsistent

01:24from Cade Klobnik in that offense. The other factor as

01:27well is that Clemson's allowing 150 rushing yards per game. The

01:31last two games against the Citadel, that was a blowout, but

01:34against Lenore Sellers in South Carolina, they got beat up in

01:38the interior. Gave up 267 rushing yards per game. If SMU

01:42can run it and they're averaging 177 on the ground, Ben, I think

01:46they win this matchup. I think it's an under, but I'm pulling

01:49for the Mustangs. SMU, man. This whole thing's been very

01:53interesting to watch play out, but SMU, I don't know what

01:59happened along the way where we decided to tell tales. The

02:03Mustangs are not here because, oh, what a scrappy underdogs.

02:08They are here because they've played nobody. Like, I don't

02:12actually, I think that you, who had to hear it on Indiana all

02:16season long, should throw SMU in people's faces a little more

02:21often. Now, you probably don't because consistency. Like, you

02:25didn't have as much beef with IU, so why would you? I get it,

02:27but SMU's current strength of schedule is 75th. 10 spots worse

02:34than that of Indiana's. SMU, again, I am not saying that if

02:38the season ended today, they don't deserve to be there. They

02:41have one loss within a powered conference league and there's

02:4312 teams that get in. I understand that, right? But of

02:47the above 500 teams that in conference play in the ACC, who

02:52did they actually go up against? Duke, they beat by one in

02:56overtime. Louisville, the rite of passage. Everybody beat the

03:00Cardinals this year with the pulse. Didn't play Tech, didn't

03:03play Cuse, didn't play this Clemson team, didn't play Miami.

03:06Like, it's not hard to figure out. So, as much as I look at

03:10Clemson, who's lost all their step-up spots and Louisville is

03:14one of those, I think Georgia would destroy SMU and I think

03:19South Carolina would beat them as well. So, that is why I

03:23can't get to a side here because I don't like either of

03:26these teams that much. The one thing I thought was worth

03:29playing was Cade Klubnick over the one and a half passing

03:32touchdowns. SMU, of their 30 touchdowns allowed this year,

03:3620 have been passing. Klubnick still been very good putting a

03:40lot of touchdowns on the board. In Cade's number on the rise,

03:43it was 249 and a half earlier this week. It is now north of

03:47260 because SMU is one of nine FBS defenses that allows fewer

03:52than 100 yards per game on the ground. Clemson's rushing

03:55offense has become inept. I don't know what has happened to

03:58Phil Moffa in the last few weeks but SMU does allow some

04:03yardage through the air. In fact, against some of those

04:05competent teams they have played above 500. Josh Hoover

04:09of TCU, 396. Tyler Shuck of Louisville, 329 against the

04:14Stangs. Malik Murphy of the Blue Devils, 298 yards. It has

04:19thrown for at least 280 in the last two games for the Tigers

04:23against FBS foes. But Lisa, you mentioned the total in this

04:26game. There is a thought that SMU against those teams north

04:30of 500, they've allowed at least 25 points in all five of

04:34those over in all five. The thing that keeps me under as

04:38well is the Tigers. Clemson has played four games against

04:41teams above 500. They're averaging just 15 and a half

04:44points per game. And I think they play it like a playoff

04:46game. You win, you're in, right? So, it's a very

04:49defensive-minded approach. I told you. I think this total

04:52looks like last week in South Carolina. 17-14, 14-10. Don't be

04:57shocked if it's a dead under and that's why I like SMU in the

04:59under in the South Carolina. Great up front as well. Clemson

05:02trying to play big. Steeler, SMU trying to punch a ticket to

05:06the college football playoff.

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