Clemson Tigers Still Lurking in College Football Playoff As ‘First Four Out’

The Clemson Tigers' chances are slim, but there is still a chance they can make the College Football Playoff.

Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers safety Khalil Barnes (7) celebrates his game clinching interception as time ran out with linebacker Dee Crayton (22) against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers were able to get back on track the last two weeks after a disappointing loss to the Louisville Cardinals at home.

It was not an easy task, either. Clemson went on the road to Blacksburg to face the Virginia Tech Hokies before going to the Pittsburgh Panthers.

They won both games, 24-14 and 24-21, to keep their slim hopes of earning a spot in the ACC Championship Game alive. What was a red-hot offense has cooled down considerably, playing a big part in their recent slide down the rankings.

After scoring 40+ points in five out of their six games of the winning streak, and winning every contest by at least 16, they have scored 21, 24 and 24 in their last three games. The defense has come alive, but the drop off in offensive production is a concern.

Over at ESPN, Heather Dinnich has revealed the bubble watch for Week 13 of the season. Clemson remains in the chase, being listed among the “first four teams out” but their odds of moving up are very slim.

Currently, their chances of making the ACC Championship Game are only 25.2 percent. With their best win of the season being over the Panthers, there is a good amount of ground to make up.

Unfortunately, their odds feel slimmer based on how much help the team actually needs.

“The two-loss Tigers are here only because of the slim chance they can still win the ACC. Clemson will clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a Miami loss to Wake Forest, but there's only a 4% chance of that happening, according to ESPN Analytics,” Dinnich wrote.

Clemson does not control their own destiny, as they need the Hurricanes to lose one more time or the SMU Mustangs to lose twice. Right now, they are in a tie for second with Miami, as SMU remains undefeated in ACC play.

More than likely, the championship game participants will be decided by ACC tiebreakers, which doesn’t bode well for the Tigers. Of course, anything can happen on the field, but things certainly aren’t looking good for Dabo Swinney and his team.

That 33-21 letdown against Louisville could very well be what keeps Clemson out of all the important post-regular season games.