On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff Committee released its updated rankings for week 13. While Clemson remains outside the top 12, they are within reach of securing a spot in the field.
The Tigers are ranked No. 17 this week, up three spots from No. 20 last week.
Interestingly, Clemson is not the highest-ranked 8-2 team. Ahead of them are Texas A&M (No. 15) and Colorado (No. 16). Additionally, Alabama (No. 7), Ole Miss (No. 9), Georgia (No. 10), and Tennessee (No. 11) are all 8-2 and currently in the top 12.
All the 8-2 teams in the top 12 share a common factor: they are from the SEC, which accounts for five of the teams in the top 12.
However, being in the top 12 doesn’t automatically guarantee a playoff spot. The top five conference champions are guaranteed a spot, and as of now, no Big 12 teams are in the top 12. BYU, ranked No. 14, is the highest-ranked team from the Big 12, and would earn a playoff spot if the season ended today.
For Clemson to make the Playoff, they need to win their remaining games against The Citadel and South Carolina. They also need other teams ahead of them to lose. For example, if Miami were to lose to Wake Forest or Syracuse, Clemson could then secure a spot in the ACC title game, where a win would earn them an automatic playoff berth.
In a positive development, South Carolina is ranked one spot behind Clemson, which is beneficial for the Tigers as they need their in-state rival to be ranked highly when they face off next weekend.
At present, Clemson’s best win is a 24-20 victory over Pitt. A win over USC next Saturday would provide a much-needed boost to their resume.
With plenty of football still to be played before playoff selections, the Tigers can only control one thing: winning. If they keep winning, like they did against Pitt in week 12, they will continue to move closer to securing a playoff spot.
Leave a Reply