Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers shocked many as they recently climbed to No. 12 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
It has been nothing but chaos this year with he expansion to a 12-team playoff, as the field is wide open with multiple programs still fighting for their place to make a real run for a national championship. Clemson looks like a real contender after moving up to the top twelve, with USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg naming the Tigers a winner from these new rankings.
Ignored as a serious contender for weeks following an ugly loss to Louisville, Clemson is a legitimate at-large player after rising to No. 12, ahead of all the three-loss teams from the SEC. The Tigers’ biggest asset is a pretty dominant six-game winning streak after losing to Georgia. Other than that, though, they have just one win against a team with a winning record in Pittsburgh. Clearly, this team has benefited from taking care of business since a loss to Louisville and allowing other contenders to fall off the map. Better yet, Clemson can add that much-needed marquee win this Saturday against No. 15 South Carolina, one of the fast risers in these rankings the past few weeks.
Clemson’s climb from No. 23 in the CFP rankings on Nov. 5 highlights a strong late-season push fueled by a three-game win streak after an early upset by Louisville. Battling teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee for a playoff spot, Clemson ranks 12th in game control and 18th in strength of record but struggles with a 57th-ranked strength of schedule. Saturday’s rivalry game against South Carolina is pivotal, with playoff hopes potentially hinging on both a win and a Syracuse upset over Miami to secure an ACC Championship berth.