The truth about Clemson's schedule

Does Clemson really play a soft schedule? One ESPN expert thinks so; even though their rankings say different.

ESPN released their first "College Football Playoff Predictor" and by all accounts the Tigers are destined for another trip to, not only the College Football Playoff, but the CFP National Championship.

The predictor gives the Tigers an 83-percent chance to reach the playoff, No. 1 in the nation ahead of Alabama--who has a 71-percent chance to reach the playoff.

The Tigers also lead the way when it comes to the predictors chances to take home the national championship, as they have a nine-point lead on the Crimson Tide--36-percent to 27-percent.

"Though they lost some imposing defensive talent in their front seven, the reigning champs have stability at head coach and a superstar talent returning at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence -- both key factors in earning the confidence of ESPN's Football Power Index," ESPN Analytics writer Seth Walder wrote. "And though FPI had Clemson as the top team at this time last year, it thinks this season's squad is almost four points per game better than what it thought of Dabo Swinney's team 12 months ago."

According Walder, the reason that their chances to reach the playoffs are so good this season is their schedule.

"Add in the fact that the Tigers' schedule rates as only the 56th-hardest among FBS teams, and it's just hard to fathom how Clemson could not make the committee's top four come Selection Day," Walder wrote. "We'll hazard a guess that over the next decade, no team will have a higher preseason chance to reach the playoff -- per our model -- than Clemson has right now.

"To put the Tigers' schedule into perspective: Their most difficult game, per FPI, is at South Carolina on Nov. 30. Alabama also plays at South Carolina, but that game is the Crimson Tide's fifth-most difficult game."

However, Walder did not stop his talking down of Clemson's schedule in his story. In fact, he went on ESPN's Paul Finebaum Show and doubled-down on his criticism of the Tigers' schedule.

"Clemson's schedule is so soft," he said on the Paul Finebaum Show Wednesday. "We are talking about one of the easiest schedules in the Power 5. They are two-touchdown favorites over everyone on their schedule, and the toughest game is at South Carolina."

"Clemson's schedule is so soft. We are talking about one of the easiest schedule in the Power 5. They are 2 TD favorites over everyone on their schedule and the toughest game is at South Carolina" - @SethWalder pic.twitter.com/j3mBz9xCpD

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 17, 2019

However, the facts from ESPN, Walder's employer, tell a different story about the Tigers' scheduling practices.

The Tigers, from 2016-2018, schedule ranks as the toughest in the nation.

Opponents that the Tigers have faced the last three seasons have amassed a 61.13 winning percentage--ahead of Florida State (60.81), Auburn (60.36), Alabama (59.78) and UCLA (59.12) with Tennessee, Georgia and Notre Dame rounding out the top 8.