Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard field goal as time expired helped No. 17 Clemson to a 34-31 victory over No. 8 SMU in the ACC championship game.

With the win, Clemson changed the College Football Playoff standings by securing an automatic playoff spot as conference champions.

SMU tied the game at 31-31 with 16 seconds left in regulation when Kevin Jennings hit Roderick Daniels Jr. on an out route for a 4-yard TD. The play was reviewed, but Daniels pulled his right foot well offside to catch the ball.

On the ensuing kickoff, a 41-yard return by Austin Randall gave Clemson a one-play opportunity to get into field goal range. Cade Klubnik’s 17-yard pass to Antonio Williams accomplished that goal.

Klubnik threw for four touchdowns and 262 yards and completed 24 of 41 passes. Bryant Wesco Jr. grabbed eight receptions for 143 yards and two scores. Jake Briningstool also caught two touchdowns for Clemson.

Is SMU still a playoff team?

The Tigers’ win raised some questions before Sunday’s selection.

Did Clemson earn a first-round bye with its win? At 10-3 and ranked among four other conference champions, that seems unlikely. There was speculation that SMU would get a bye if they won the ACC, but the Mustangs would have had a 12-1 record and would be above No. 15 Big 12 champion Arizona State and the Mountain West champion Boise State is ranked No. 10. The committee probably wouldn’t take Clemson this far just because it’s the ACC champion.

And what about SMU? Did the loss knock them out of the playoffs despite an 11-2 record? Clemson’s win takes a spot that many speculated would go to No. 12 Alabama.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made the case for SMU in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Molly McGrath.

“This is a playoff football team,” Swinney said, gesturing across the field. “SMU, they better be in the damn playoffs.”

Clemson took a big lead early

The Tigers took a 14-0 lead on SMU errors. A Kevin Jennings fumble on a sack gave Clemson the ball at the Mustangs’ 33-yard line. Two plays later, Klubnik hit Wesco for a 35-yard touchdown and the game’s opening score.

SMU took the lead three times on its next possession, but was assessed a 15-yard personal foul penalty when Davaughn Celestine’s helmet came off on a punt and he kept playing.

Between the penalty and Antonio Williams’ 21-yard return, the punt was virtually wiped out and Clemson took over at the SMU 28-yard line. Four plays later, Klubnik connected with Briningstool for a five-yard touchdown pass.

SMU entered the game on its third possession and capped a 75-yard drive with a 24-yard scoring run by Jennings. However, Clemson answered right back with a 43-yard TD pass from Klubnik to Wesco. Clemson led 24-7 at halftime.

SMU rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half

The Mustangs scored on their first series of the second half when Jennings completed four passes for 65 yards, including a 10-yard toss to Brashard Smith. That cut Clemson’s lead to 24-14. However, the Tigers completed two long drives that took nearly ten minutes, with the second drive ending in a touchdown on a five-yard reception by Briningstool.

SMU came right back and cut the lead to 10 again, capping a seven-play drive with a 20-yard TD catch from Matthew Hibner. After the defense forced Clemson into three-and-out plays on consecutive possessions, the Mustangs got within one score on a 46-yard field goal from Collin Rogers.

Jennings passed for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and completed 31 of 50 passes. Daniels had eight receptions for 97 yards and a score, along with Hibner’s five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Brashard Smith led SMU in rushing with 113 yards and 24 carries.

At the beginning of the week. SMU coach Rhett Lashlee argued that his team should be in the playoffs win or lose and not be punished for having to play in a conference championship game.

He repeated this claim after the defeat.

“We just played a playoff game out there and played pretty well,” Lashlee said. “Our team deserves a chance to be there.”