UNIVERSITY PARK – A win seems more difficult to achieve this college football season than any other in recent years.

It won’t leave an undefeated team out of the College Football Playoff like Florida State did last year. There could even be a team with three losses on the field.

During rivalry week, teams at the top of the national rankings like Miami and Ohio State lost spots in their championship games to teams that weren’t even in the conversation.

Watching the last few weeks of the season, what SMU has accomplished is even more impressive. While many of the other teams collapsed, the Mustangs maintained their level of play and posted another dominant conference win, defeating Cal 38-6 on Saturday.

The Golden Bears’ first five losses this season resulted in a combined 17 points. CFP No. 9 SMU (11-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated them by 32 points, improving their average margin of victory in conference play to 19.4 points.

After another statement performance, SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said he believes his program has earned its spot in the playoffs, regardless of what happens in Saturday’s ACC Championship game against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina

“It’s not my decision, but yes, I do,” Lashlee said. “I don’t think there’s any question. They are 11-1, 8-0, 9-1 against Power Four opponents. There are a lot of statistics out there. I hope it’s seen that way.”

Just a few weeks ago, the ACC was considered a one-bid league, similar to the Big 12. But the collapse of a handful of Southeastern Conference teams temporarily opened the door for up to three ACC teams. Now it looks like two should make it.

The champion is automatically included and secures a bye for the first round. If the Mustangs lose but stay close, they should be there too. If SMU wins and hands Clemson its fourth loss of the year, Miami could clinch a spot with two losses.

Georgia Tech’s prime-time battle against Georgia, which went into eight overtimes Friday night, proved that the conference may be deeper than the committee originally thought.

“I think Georgia Tech showed what the ACC is all about. I keep hearing that if Georgia wins, they’re 10-2 and automatically in. Well, I don’t know. “We’re 11-1, 8-0,” Lashlee said. “They are a great team. They’re in the SEC championship game. Hell yeah, they should be there. I think we should be there too.”

SMU’s 8-0 record in ACC play made it one of only two teams in the country to finish their power conference slate undefeated. The other is Oregon, the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, which has essentially secured its spot in the playoffs regardless of its result in the Big Ten championship games.

Lashlee hopes his team’s near-flawless resume will also be enough, and his opponent believes it is too.

“I know they want to win the game, but I think they should definitely be there,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Sunday. “I think they deserve this. I mean, I don’t think they should be punished.”

Just like the last few weeks, the Mustangs’ fate still rests in their own hands. They enter CFP No. 12 Clemson (9-3, 7-1) as a 1½-point favorite and can not only secure their spot in the 12-team field with a win, but also a first-round bye .

The last few weeks have shown that anything can happen this college football season, so SMU still needs a complete performance to ensure it can overcome the chaos.

“I hope that our team is rewarded for the great work and what we have done,” said Lashlee. “We have to think about what we can control and that’s how we play next week.”

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