On ESPN’s Championship Drive show, Heather Dinich was asked how damaging Clemson’s 35-14 loss at Notre Dame last Saturday night was to the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Clemson of course went to South Bend as the No. 4 team in the first CFP rankings that were released last Tuesday night before being knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten.
“Oh, it’s severely damaging,” said Dinich, who covers the CFP for ESPN. “They lost by 21 points. Dabo Swinney called it after the game ‘a really bad day.’ I’ll one-up that and say it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, Clemson. They allowed touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. They couldn’t stop the run, and stop telling me there aren’t questions at quarterback. When you have two, you don’t have one, and both of those players made way too many mistakes. This is not a top-four team. I was surprised a week ago the selection committee had them No. 4.”
In an article published Sunday on ESPN.com (subscription required), Dinich went into detail on where she thinks Clemson (8-1, 6-0 ACC) stands in the playoff picture after Saturday’s loss.
She believes the Tigers and the ACC are “hanging by a thread” as far as the playoff is concerned, and while Clemson has already clinched the Atlantic Division and could finish as a one-loss conference champion, she thinks the selection committee would favor a one-loss Pac-12 champ Oregon over one a one-loss ACC champ Clemson.
“Oregon’s lone loss was in the season opener to defending national champion Georgia, which should be the committee’s No. 1 team this week,” Dinich wrote. “The Ducks have won every game since in mostly convincing fashion. Oregon also has more opportunities remaining to impress the selection committee than Clemson, as the Ducks still face Utah on Nov. 19 and should face another ranked opponent in the Pac-12 title game if they make it.”
Dinich wrote that the selection committee could perhaps favor a one-loss Big 12 champ over Clemson as well, should TCU slip up and lose a game.
“And as long as TCU remains undefeated, Clemson should be concerned,” she wrote. “A one-loss TCU could have the edge against Clemson if they both win their respective leagues, but that would be a much bigger debate.”
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