Rhett Lashlee, Dabo Swinney campaign for ACC teams in CFP

The ACC hopes it won’t be a one-bid league, and the two coaches playing for the conference championship made it clear there are at least two — and possibly three — teams worthy of a College Football Playoff bid.

SMU and Clemson will meet Saturday with the ACC’s guaranteed playoff bid on the line. The problem for SMU is that the Mustangs are safe as of today with an 11-1 record, but a loss to Clemson in the ACC championship game could jeopardize the Mustangs’ playoff hopes as the SEC pushes for at least one of ​​his four 9-3 programs – Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Missouri – in the 12-team field.

“I think our kids have earned the right to be one of the top 12 teams in America, and I really hope the committee sees it that way,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “I hope the committee continues to value our resume and our overall body of work. The reality is there are two Power 4 teams that went undefeated in their conference and that’s Oregon and us. To me, that should mean a lot. “

SMU currently has the record strength of no. 9, according to ESPN, and the schedule no. 75, despite playing a 10-2 BYU and 8-4 TCU out of conference. SMU’s loss to BYU came by just three points in the final game before the Mustangs made a change at quarterback, going from Preston Stone to Kevin Jennings. Since Jennings took over, SMU is 9-0, averaging more than 40 points per game. game and an average margin of victory of 20 points per match.

Clemson needs to win to make the playoffs after falling to South Carolina 17-14 in Week 14, but coach Dabo Swinney said the ACC’s depth and strength was there all season and warrants multiple bids — regardless of who wins league championship.

“For SMU, they want to win the game, but they should be in no matter what. They’ve earned it. I don’t think they should be penalized. I know the system is set up to be what it is, but they’re a 11-1 football team,” he said. “And for us, we’ve got to win. But we control our destiny. If we’d had a great regular season, maybe we’d have that opportunity, but we’ve got to win. But SMU, they should be in.”

Then there’s 10-2 Miami, which was the highest-ranked ACC team in last week’s top 25 at No. 6, but after blowing a 21-point lead at Syracuse in Week 14, the Canes are also on the brink of the playoffs. .

Miami’s losses are to 7-5 Georgia Tech, a team that went eight overtimes at Georgia in Week 14, and Syracuse, a 9-3 program that figures to be in the committee’s top 25 this week.

“I don’t think there’s any question that we’ve separated ourselves as one of the top three leagues,” Lashlee said, “and it’s hard to objectively argue that we shouldn’t have at least two teams in playoffs. I think we’re going to be in regardless, but you look at the Miami team that’s 10-2 … if it at least looks like schools like Tennessee and Ohio State that are 10- 2, is in, then Miami should probably be there looked on in exactly the same spirit.”

Swinney echoed those comments, saying he “can’t imagine Miami not wanting to be in.”

Lashlee said he won’t make much public policy regardless of the outcome of the ACC championship, suggesting it’s unlikely to sway the committee regardless, but he’s also confident SMU’s resume is good enough without the hype.

“Based on what we’ve heard and what we’ve been told, I want to feel good,” Lashlee said. “Hopefully (the ACC championship game) is a reward and we’re playing for a first-round bye. But really, all we can do is control our game and we’ll do everything we can to win a championship . “