Clemson just got the mulligan of all mulligans

There was nothing but heartbreak inside of Clemson Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon when the Tigers fell at the hands of their in-state rival South Carolina.

Clemson, which had led the game for much of the day, allowed Gamecock QB LaNorris Sellers to dash them in the running game to the clip of 166 yards and two touchdowns. Sellers' biggest play of the game came on a 3rd and long situation where he scrambled away from Clemson defenders and took the ball 20 yards for a touchdown with 1:08 remaining, giving South Carolina its ultimate 17-14 win.

The sting was bitter and it could be felt. The fans in the stands looked stunned. Dabo Swinney's press conference was painful to watch. And then the unthinkable happened.

About three and a half hours after the Tigers figured their season and playoff hopes had ended, Clemson got the mulligan of all mulligans: A Miami loss to Syracuse.

Miami dropped its game to Syracuse, 42-38, ending its 2024 regular season with a 10-2 record and a 6-2 record in the ACC. Though the Hurricanes just needed to win to make it to the ACC Championship game, they came up short and that opened the door back up for Clemson.

Now, it will be Clemson that makes its way to Charlotte to take on SMU with a College Football Playoff spot on the line.

Say what you will about Clemson's team this season. Do the Tigers deserve to be in the College Football Playoff? Probably not. Will they beat SMU in Charlotte this coming weekend? Maybe not. But, none of that matters.

Clemson now gets a rare opportunity to run it back one week from now and, should they win, nothing is going to stop them from locking up a spot in the College Football Playoff. It's truly win and you're in.

Now, SMU is a tall task and the Mustangs should come into this one as the Vegas favorites. That being said, there's something to be said about teams that get a second chance. Clemson was left for dead just a few hours ago, but now their hopes are very much alive.

What a day of college football it has been so far.

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