CHARLOTTE – The ACC crown still fits Clemson.

After No. 8, SMU won the coin toss and elected to receive. The first two games of the Mustangs’ opener were the only ones in which the game was in their hands before an image emerged that has become very familiar at Bank of America Stadium.

That would be the No. 17 Tigers winning the program’s 22nd ACC championship, its ninth under head coach Dabo Swinney, defeating SMU 34-31 in a thriller. Mustangs head coach Brett Lashlee referred to his team as “the new kid” and that’s how they looked most of the evening as Clemson reminded the ACC, which now has eight of the last 10 conference titles.

Clemson has the second-best winning percentage in conference title games with a record of 9-1, with its only loss coming in the program’s first appearance in the game in 2009. Swinney has not lost in the contest since his first full year in the conference need helmet.

The Tigers were relentless in the first quarter, taking a 14-0 lead in just 4:13 minutes and responding to the Mustangs’ quick score with a 21-7 run. SMU came back roaring and finished the game tied at 31.

In just 16 seconds, Clemson reached the 38-yard line and kicker Nolan Hauser etched his name in Tigers history with a game-winning 55-yard field goal.

While Clemson needed help to even appear in this game, it was fate that took Hauser and the Tigers away from SMU to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

With this victory, Clemson now has 14 consecutive seasons with a postseason win, extending the longest streak in major college football history. It is also the Tigers’ 13th 10-win season in 14 years, with 2023 being the only outlier.

Clemson awaits its berth in the first 12-team College Football Playoff, but one thing is true: ACC still stands for Another Clemson Championship.