The College Football Selection Committee has released the updated playoff rankings, with SMU ranked as the eighth-best team in the country heading into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Conference Championship.
The Mustangs have now improved their standing in the College Football Playoff rankings for a third consecutive week, marking an impressive year for a team that began the season unranked.
SMU first began receiving votes for the Top 25 in Week 5 and was vaulted into the rankings in Week 7 after a 5-1 start to the year. The Mustangs have consistently climbed in nearly every week since then.
Although SMU clinched a berth in the ACC Championship game two weeks ago, the team dismantled Cal 33-7 on Saturday, further improving its standing for the College Football Playoffs.
Twelve teams will make the 2024 College Football Playoffs, five of which will come from the highest-ranked conference winners. The remaining seven slots will be granted to the next highest-ranked teams.
While defeating Clemson in the ACC Championship would almost guarantee SMU a bye in the first round of the playoffs, a loss may not completely end the Mustangs’ hopes for a playoff appearance.
At least two of the guaranteed playoff bids will come from teams currently ranked higher than SMU in the playoff standings, with Oregon and Penn State slated to play in the Big 10 Championship and Texas and Georgia playing for the SEC Championship.
As a result, the Mustangs could likely slip in the rankings and still have a chance to make the playoffs, though nothing is guaranteed in the first season with the new format.
Regardless, the Mustangs’ appearance in the ACC Championship game is already an impressive accomplishment during their first season as a member of the ACC, which has seemingly become a trend across multiple other conferences in college football.
SMU Head Coach Rhett Lashlee said after the team beat Cal that he was “kind of in awe of these guys” and the success they have put together over the past two seasons.
“Just pretty cool, you know, these guys back-to-back 11 wins, didn’t lose a conference game, and going to be playing championship weekend two years in a row,” he said, per The ACC.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, SMU will take on Clemson in the ACC Conference Championship Game on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tickets for the event are available to be purchased here, though limited seating may prevent every fan from attending the game.
While many fans may not be available to attend the ACC Championship, those who wish to watch can tune in to ABC or stream the game on ESPN.