The No. 17 Clemson Tigers defeated No. 8 SMU 34-31 in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, giving Arizona State the best position for a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP).

Clemson had a big lead in the first half, but the Mustangs fought back to tie the score late in the fourth quarter. With 16 seconds left, Clemson got the ball back, drove down the field and kicked a game-winning 56-yard field goal.

Earlier in the day, SMU gave up a first-round bye to the No. 3 seed. With their loss to Clemson, the Mustangs could be eliminated from the CFP entirely. The question now is whether Clemson takes that guaranteed bye as conference champion or whether Arizona State takes that spot. ASU was ahead of Clemson in next weekend’s rankings.

The Sun Devils defeated Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship on Saturday, clinching a spot in the CFP and securing one of the best seasons in the program’s recent history.

Arizona State went 11-2 this season, with one of those losses coming without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham made it clear that Arizona State deserves to be in the conversation for this bye.

“I think our game is 11-1, our starting quarterback has beaten four ranked teams and won the Big 12 championship,” Dillingham said Saturday after the game. “So I think because we’ve set the standard that the quarterback is so valuable, I think there should be a real chance that we get a bye in the first round and I definitely think we ( should at least) host a game.” .”

Entering Saturday, Arizona State would have been ranked 12th in the standings, and with a win on Saturday and SMU’s loss, Arizona State has a good chance could essentially host a CFP game if he gets the No. 4 seed for the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. There’s even a chance the Sun Devils go to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

The SEC and Big Ten have secured first-round byes for their champions, but the final two spots (SMU, Boise State) are still uncertain. Boise State, currently ranked No. 4, defeated UNLV on Friday in the Mountain West Championship, giving it a strong case to retain its first-round bye.

Nevertheless, Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement about her opinion on the issue.

“Participation in the College Football Playoff is not about entitlement,” Nevarez said in the statement. “It shouldn’t depend on a conference patch or the logo on the helmet. It’s based on performance, and Mountain West champion Boise State’s overall performance this season, including an 11-game winning streak, has earned it a top-four seed ahead of the Big 12 champion.”

The first round of the CFP is scheduled to begin on December 20th and the quarterfinal games are scheduled to take place on New Year’s weekend.

Arizona State’s fate lies ahead as its 12-team bracket will be announced Sunday at 10 a.m. on ESPN. Follow the broadcast on the Arizona Sports app and online.