Is there still a path for Clemson to make the CFP this season? | College Football Enquirer
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger discuss the latest College Football Rankings, including whether or not the Clemson Tigers still have a shot at sneaking into the top four.
Video Transcript
DAN WETZEL: They just don't like Clemson. They put Clemson in the friend zone. It's like Clemson's like, they play in the American, not the Atlantic Coast. What is happening?
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Let's get to the rankings to start this. Georgia one, Ohio State two, Michigan three, TCU four-- no surprises. Here's where it gets slightly interesting. LSU five, Southern California is six, Alabama seven, Clemson eight, and the Ducks are nine. The most interesting thing here is, of course, what happens to the Michigan-Ohio State loser? Why does the committee not like Clemson?
LSU has a loss to Florida State that Clemson won against. They both have kind of blowout losses. LSU's was at home to Tennessee, and Clemson's was to Notre Dame. And Boo Corrigan, our leader, our high priest.
PAT FORDE (LAUGHING): Our leader.
DAN WETZEL: A Rabbi.
PAT FORDE: Our shaman.
DAN WETZEL: They liked the Alabama victory and the Mississippi victory, which is interesting. Ole Miss now 20th. They just don't like Clemson. They put Clemson in the friend zone. It's like Clemson's like, they play in the American, not the Atlantic Coast. What is happening?
PAT FORDE: This was the friend zone comment for Clemson. Really good football team. I think they're trying to figure out what stands out for them. Really good defensive line, really good defensively with what they've done. 6-1 against teams over .500. Again, I know this can sound repetitive, but in watching them, you're looking for something that makes them different, makes them stand out.
In that respect, Coach Swinney has done a great job again with this year's team. But the committee views them as the number eight team. In other words, we don't think they're that good, despite their record.
DAN WETZEL: That is like, he's nice. His mama raised him right. Yeah, that's what that's all about. Friend zone, Ross. Is Clemson in the friend zone? What is-- can they get out?
ROSS DELLENGER: Yeah, I mean, it's going to take some stuff for them to get out. They obviously don't-- they don't control their own destiny. I think that we could say that they're one of the teams in the mix, and there's a possibility there. They certainly have a better shot than Alabama, even though we talk about Alabama being above Clemson.
But I think at the end of the day, if Clemson does what it's supposed to do, beat South Carolina-- a South Carolina team that just beat Tennessee-- and that's helpful to Clemson for sure. And then goes on to have a conference championship. I mean the committee is supposed to look at conference champions differently. So I think they get out-- I think they can bump up, and I think they will. But they still, to get in the four, they need Tennessee to lose and they need USC to lose.
And they probably need Michigan to lose to Ohio State. It those three things happen and Clemson wins out, right?
DAN WETZEL: I think only a couple of things need to happen here. I think Georgia beats LSU, where they're going to be two touchdown favorites. Ohio State beats Michigan. And then Notre Dame beats Southern Cal.
ROSS DELLENGER: One or the other, either Oregon or TCU will have to lose, probably.
DAN WETZEL: I don't think TCU-- TCU move up to three, and someone's got to be four. And so if USC loses to Notre Dame this weekend or to the Ducks, so they got two, they're out. LSU loses to Georgia, they're out. That's three losses. And if Michigan with no-- Michigan is sitting around with one win against Penn State and that's it.
There's nobody else in the Big Ten that's even ranked. Clemson is sitting there saying, bang, we're in. We had that horrible night against Notre Dame, but look at this. I think their way to get out of the friend zone is all the cool guys, that they really want to date, like transfer out of the school. And there's nobody left except William Christopher riding in, little old Clemson.
ROSS DELLENGER: There your go.
PAT FORDE: Not out of the question.
DAN WETZEL: I don't think they're out. This is what I expect to happen-- Georgia wins out.
PAT FORDE: Yep.
DAN WETZEL: Ohio State wins out.
PAT FORDE: Yep.
DAN WETZEL: TCU wins out. Southern Cal wins out. We're done. But this could get really crazy, where they're sitting around trying to talk themselves into their old their old flame, Alabama. That's why Alabama is sitting at seven. They can't quit you.
PAT FORDE: They can't. That's the one that still just I find very interesting. They cannot quit Alabama.
DAN WETZEL: All due respect to Rece Davis and the crew. Rece Davis was like, well, Clemson is looking as good as last year. It's like, that's not a criteria.
ROSS DELLENGER: Yeah, no.
DAN WETZEL: Like, wait. Does that matter? All right. Well, I don't know. We'll see. Keep trying there, William Christopher. You can do it. You can get out of the friend zone.
ROSS DELLENGER: Little old Clemson.
DAN WETZEL: They say you can never get out of the friend zone. You might be able to.
