Clemson's ACC championship walk-off ranked as ESPN Top 15 game

Nolan Hauser's 56-yard FG capped off one of the games of the season.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Tuesday, January 28 2025

Nolan Hauser's walk-off to the College Football Playoff and an ACC Championship was one of the top games of the 2024 season.

ESPN ranked the Top 100 games in the college football season, where the 34-31 2024 ACC Championship win for the Tigers over SMU ranked No. 15.

"Clemson became the first bid thief of the 12-team playoff era -- call it another playoff victory for Dabo Swinney's Tigers over Alabama -- by surging to an early lead in the ACC championship and holding on for dear life," ESPN's Bill Connelly said. "Thanks to a Kevin Jennings fumble and two quick Cade Klubnik touchdown passes, they led 14-0 after just five minutes and eventually expanded that to 24-7 at halftime. But Jennings threw three touchdown passes in the second half, the last of which went to Roderick Daniels Jr. to tie the game with 16 seconds remaining.

"Instead of going for two points and the win, SMU's Rhett Lashlee elected to take momentum into overtime. That backfired when Adam Randall returned the kickoff near midfield, Antonio Williams caught a 17-yard pass and Nolan Hauser nailed a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer to send the Tigers into the CFP."

Clemson also appeared at No. 35 on the list with South Carolina's 17-14 upset in Death Valley.

"Late in the season, the Gamecocks started winning the dramatic ones. It looked as if they would knock Clemson out of the CFP when, trailing 14-10 late, Sellers meandered his way past seemingly every Tigers defender to score from 20 yards and make it 17-14," Connelly said. "Clemson quickly charged back into field goal range, but Demetrius Knight Jr. picked off an ill-advised Cade Klubnik pass to seal the win."

Vanderbilt's upset over Alabama ranked No. 1 on the list.