Alabama football won't be in action in the SEC championship this weekend, but the Crimson Tide will be keenly watching another conference championship on Saturday night: the ACC title game between No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson.

SMU may enter Saturday’s ACC championship contest as a 2.5-point favorite over Clemson, but in many ways, the Mustangs are underdogs. They’re taking on a blue-blood program with more ACC championship game wins than any other team in the conference.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are one win away from returning to the College Football Playoff as ACC champions for the first time since 2020. Standing in their way is an SMU Mustangs program in their first season in the conference.