“Clemson’s College Football Playoff Hopes on the Line After South Carolina Defeat”

Clemson’s chances of making the College Football Playoff appeared slim after their loss to South Carolina, leaving the Tigers with three defeats, which seemed to rule them out of contention. However, Syracuse’s surprising victory over Miami has given Clemson new life. With the Hurricanes out of the picture, the Tigers are now set to face SMU in the ACC Championship.

A win over SMU would secure Clemson’s place in the Playoff, as the ACC champion automatically qualifies. If the Tigers lose, though, it would be difficult to imagine a four-loss team earning a spot in the top-12. Clemson would then need to qualify as an at-large team rather than through the ACC championship.

Before the loss to South Carolina, Clemson was ranked No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. SMU, with only one loss to BYU, is a 1.5-point favorite in the Dec. 7 ACC title game, marking their first meeting since SMU joined the ACC.