Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are undefeated with an 8-0 (6-0 ACC) record and remain one of the only six unbeaten teams in the country.
Though the team is undefeated, many around the country don’t believe Clemson is one of the best teams in college football. However, the College Football Playoff Committee felt differently, ranking Clemson at No.4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.
This ranking surprised many with expectations that Michigan, who ranks No.4 in the Coaches and AP Polls, was expected to get the nod over Clemson, with others believing another undefeated team in TCU was worthy of the final spot in the top four. Instead, it was Clemson who has done enough so far for the committee to deem them a playoff team so far.
This ranking was a big win for not only Clemson but the ACC as a whole, as their top dog in Clemson is in a strong position while the rest of the conference is represented well in the rankings. According to Paul Myerberg of USA Today Sports, Clemson and the ACC are among the biggest winners of the first College Football Playoff rankings.
Here’s what Myerberg had to say about the team and the conference:
Clemson and the ACC
It wasn’t as bad for the ACC as believed heading into the rankings, beginning with the fact that Clemson came in ahead of Michigan to round out the top four. With the easiest remaining schedule of any of the top playoff contenders, the Tigers have to feel very positive about their chances of returning to the semifinals after a one-year absence. Clemson coming in at No. 4 is due to wins against three other ACC teams in the rankings: No. 20 Syracuse, No. 21 Wake Forest and No. 22 North Carolina State. (North Carolina was the fifth ACC representative at No. 17.) The committee respects the top third of the conference and how Clemson has risen to the top of the league.
The ACC is getting the credit they deserve as a conference is significant for the Tigers as they genuinely control their own fate. After seeing these first rankings, there is no reason to believe an undefeated Clemson team won’t make the College Football Playoff.
If the Tigers drop one game, however, things will get a lot more interesting, with Clemson the likelihood of not making the playoff increasing substantially. It is win and get in for Swinney and Clemson.
[mm-video type=video id=01ggwbpwmgrmvnf520m0 playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ggwbpwmgrmvnf520m0/01ggwbpwmgrmvnf520m0-92c513c5a5c0cc9c6c9b71220ffd3cdd.jpg]
[listicle id=7981]