ACC commissioner Jim Phillips spent part of Saturday trying to talk up his league’s chances at getting multiple bids to the expanded College Football Playoff, but he might have been better off sitting this one out.
Phillips appeared on ESPN Saturday and made the case for the SMU Mustangs, who will face Clemson in the ACC title game Saturday with a playoff bid at stake. The commissioner tried to use what happened to Florida State and quarterback Jordan Travis last year as evidence for why SMU should get additional consideration this year. His point was that, since Florida State was left out of the field over Travis’ injury last year, SMU deserves extra credit for their 9-0 record since Kevin Jennings took over as quarterback.
Unfortunately for Phillips, it didn’t quite come out that way.
“Last year, we suffered through having to hear about Jordan Travis being out and Miami not being the same. Well, it cuts both ways. Since Jordan Travis took over, (SMU) are 9-0,” Phillips said.
So Jim Phillips says that Jordan Travis was Miami’s QB last year while also saying he was SMU’s QB this year.
Is he drunk or something? pic.twitter.com/lC1eNX4gwu
— Zach Blostein (@ZBlostein247) December 7, 2024
There are two big problems here. One, Travis played for Florida State, not Miami. He also does not currently play for SMU, as he was drafted by the New York Jets last April. Phillips got Jennings’ name correct in the first part of his comment, so he certainly knows, but that was some awkward timing for a slip of the tongue. Florida State and Miami fans are just going to get offended at being confused for the other.
If Clemson beats SMU on Saturday, the Mustangs’ playoff chances are not at all secure. Even if they do win, Phillips wants them to get the best seed possible.
Phillips once fought against CFP expansion, though he had a legitimate reason for it at the time. He relented at the right moment, as it is highly unlikely the ACC would get a team in at all if this was still a four-team field.
