Paul Finebaum and Heather Dinich discussed Clemson and Alabama on ESPN’s Get Up show after the second set of College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night.
Finebaum was asked out of all the messages the CFP committee sent with the latest rankings, what his biggest takeaway was.
Unsurprisingly, he took the opportunity to dismiss Dabo Swinney’s team.
“Say goodbye to Clemson. They are done,” Finebaum said. “They have absolutely no path back. This is unprecedented, outside of ’14, they’ve been around. Of course last year, we were able to survive without them. But this is so unbelievable to think that at this juncture of the season, Dabo Swinney’s team is done.”
Clemson has appeared in the College Football Playoff every year except for 2014 and 2021, while Alabama has made the playoff in each season but 2019.
There has never been an edition of the CFP that did not include either Alabama or Clemson, and both teams have made the playoff in the same season in five of the eight years since the playoff began in 2014.
Will this year be a first? Is there any path to the playoff for either Clemson (8-1, 6-0 ACC, No. 10 CFP rankings) or Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 9 CFP)?
Dinich, who covers the CFP for ESPN, was asked that question.
“No, and it’s not because of resume or wins or losses,” Dinich said. “These are not looking like top-four teams. Clemson got destroyed on the road at Notre Dame. They have quarterback issues. Alabama, all along — wide receiver drops, no push up front on the offensive line, penalties, turnovers, you name it. They’re not playoff teams.”
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