Clemson Tigers Barely Makes Initial College Football Playoff Ranking

The Clemson Tigers will begin the initial College Football Playoff Rankings toward the bottom of the Top 25.

Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

For the first time this season, the College Football Playoff rankings have been released. 

After losing their first conference game of the season this past Saturday, the Clemson Tigers (6-2, 5-1 ACC) will start the first poll ranked 23rd. The Louisville Cardinals, who defeated the Tigers, begin the new ranking directly in front of them at 22. 

The Tigers, led by head coach Dabo Swinney, almost fell out of the Top 25 after they no longer controlled their own destiny for reaching the College Football Playoffs. The team will need some help from the Miami Hurricanes (now ranked 4th) and SMU Mustangs (13th) to reach the ACC title game. 

If that scenario does not happen, the Tigers have a small chance at making it as an at-large bid, assuming they can win the four remaining games on their schedule. 

However, Swinney doesn’t appear to be too focused on where the Tigers are ranked as he knows there is still football to play this season. He spoke earlier this week on the upcoming poll. 

“As y’all all know, a lot can happen in college football, right? Just when you think you know, you don’t know. You just keep going. A lot can happen in college football. I’m not worried about any rankings. I haven’t been worried about any rankings. I’m just worried about trying to win the game that we got in front of us, and go from there.”

The College Football playoffs will begin on December 20th. The newly formed 12-team single-elimination tournament will feature five conference winners and seven at-large teams. This is the first of six rankings that will be updated weekly until the final selection on December 8th. Every week the rankings will be televised on ESPN.

The Tigers will be back in action this Saturday as they travel to Lane Stadium to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in one of two remaining ACC games on the schedule.