Clemson Tigers Projected as "Last Two In" For College Football Playoffs

The Clemson Tigers still have work to do, including swaying the minds of the College Football Playoff Committee.

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The Clemson Tigers have made their way back near the top of the college football mountain, a place that feels like home for veteran head coach Dabo Swinney.

With just four games remaining this year, the Tigers have done everything in their power to this point to prove to the nation, and more specifically the College Football Playoff Committee, that they deserve to be among the 12 teams vying for the National Championship this year.

With their only loss coming in week one to the Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson has since shown nothing but dominance on both sides of the ball in every matchup the team has had.

Still, it may not be enough for the College Football Playoff Committee, unless they win out, including the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game.

"If the Tigers stumble and don't win the ACC," writes Heather Dinich of ESPN, "there will likely be two-loss teams with better résumés ahead of them."

Dinich currently has the Tigers projected as one of the "Last Two In" for the College Football Playoffs, with the 11th seed sitting just ahead of the Tennessee Volunteers.

These most recent projections have Clemson facing the Ohio State Buckeyes (projected as the sixth seed) in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, with the winner advancing to face the currently projected third seed, the Miami Hurricanes.

The Committee has made it clear that they will not reseed to avoid rematches, and should the Tigers win this hypothetical game against the Buckeyes to advance to face the Hurricanes, it could be a rematch of the ACC Championship game.

"The reality, though," adds Dinich, "is that if Clemson loses to Miami in the ACC championship game, it might not earn a spot in the playoff as a two-loss ACC runner-up."

The strength of schedule this year has continued to haunt Clemson in its quest to get back to the top of the college football mountain, something that is out of their control.

While the strength of schedule may be something that the Tigers can not control, they can control their performances on the field against that schedule, and outside of week one, they have been nothing short of fantastic and well deserving of a berth in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs.

There is still a lot of season left to play, but Clemson does find itself in a favorable spot and holds its College Football Playoff destiny in its own hands.