The College Football Playoff (CFP) era’s first rankings in the new 12-team format are out, and the Clemson Tigers have earned a spot at No. 23 in the initial standings for 2024. Released on Tuesday night, this is the first of six CFP Top 25 rankings that will be announced weekly through Selection Day on Dec. 8.
This season marks a significant change as the expanded 12-team playoff format takes effect. The top five conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, will make the playoffs. The four highest-ranked conference champions receive byes, while the remaining teams will compete in the opening round on the home fields of the higher-seeded teams. The playoffs then advance to the quarterfinals and semifinals, hosted within the New Year’s Six bowl games, with the national championship set at a neutral location.
After suffering a setback against Louisville, Clemson, now 6-2, aims to regain momentum as they prepare for a road game against Virginia Tech on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN). While the Tigers’ CFP hopes took a hit last week, they still have opportunities to improve their position within the ACC standings and the playoff rankings. They just need some things to go their way, outside of them getting the job done.