Using the network’s Football Power Index ratings , ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich gave her thoughts ($) Thursday on each of the 30 teams that are given at least a 10 percent chance to make the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Clemson is in the top half of the ratings at No. 13. ESPN gives the Tigers a 26.9 percent chance to reach the playoff.
Dinich believes the Tigers have a “strong chance” at a 10-win season, which would place them in firm contention for the playoff.
“With a strong chance to finish 10-2, Clemson should be right on the CFP bubble — if it doesn’t unravel like last year. The Tigers have a manageable schedule, with just enough quality opponents to outweigh the likes of Appalachian State and The Citadel. Clemson faces NC State, Florida State and Louisville — all teams that could be in the CFP top 25. There are also higher expectations for Virginia Tech this fall, and a Nov. 9 win in Blacksburg could be more meaningful in the committee meeting room than it might look now.”
Georgia topped ESPN’s list at No. 1 with Oregon at No. 2. Texas, Ohio State and Penn State round out the top five.
Florida State, considered the Tigers’ biggest competition for the ACC crown and the defending conference champion, rank two spots ahead of Clemson at No. 11. The Seminoles were named the favorites to win the ACC by voters in the 2024 ACC Preseason Football Poll , released this week. Florida State and Clemson will meet Oct. 5 in Tallahassee.
Dinich believes that the Tigers’ two head-to-head matchups against SEC teams — Georgia and South Carolina — at the beginning and end of the season will go a long way in determining their fate in the eyes of the selection committee.
“Wins against Georgia and South Carolina would wow the committee, if the Gamecocks have a respectable season. Every year the committee considers the emotions and increased unpredictability of rivalry games. If Clemson can bookend the season with victories in those two games, it won’t have to win the ACC to earn a spot in the CFP as long as it avoids multiple upsets in between.”
Conversely, an 0-2 record against the SEC teams would spell trouble for Dabo Swinney’s team.
“It’s not that a two-loss Clemson team can’t earn a spot in the 12-team field, but it might not win a résumé debate against another two-loss contender. That puts more pressure on Clemson to win the ACC in this particular scenario, which would guarantee the two-loss Tigers a spot in the field. If they don’t, the committee would compare wins against NC State, Florida State, Louisville and Virginia Tech against a schedule like … say, Michigan, above.”
Clemson will be heavy underdogs in their August 31 season-opener against the Bulldogs, a “neutral-site” game in name only at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be nationally televised by ABC.
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