Clemson’s Ranking in Dinich’s Latest CFP Top 12 Prediction

How do things stand in the 12-team College Football Playoff picture after a chaotic Week 6 of the season, according to Heather Dinich?

Dinich, ESPN’s foremost College Football Playoff insider, gave her updated prediction of the CFP selection committee’s top 12 if that ranking were released today.

Following Clemson’s 29-13 win at Florida State, the Tigers (4-1, 3-0 ACC) remained at No. 9 in Dinich’s latest projection (subscription required) of the CFP top 12.

“Since losing its season opener to Georgia, Clemson has reeled off four straight wins in convincing fashion, including its first true road win Saturday at Florida State,” Dinich wrote, regarding why Clemson could be ranked at that No. 9 spot.

“While other contenders have suffered upsets and struggled to find consistency, the Tigers are improving every week and the offense seems to have found its groove while the defense remains one of the best in the country. While the season-opening loss to the Bulldogs was lopsided, it remains a loss to a top-five contender, which will lessen the blow a bit in the committee meeting room.”

Dinich also ranked Clemson at No. 4 among the top one-loss playoff contenders after Week 6 (behind Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee) and Dinich weighed in on how the Tigers can overcome the aforementioned loss to Georgia in the committee meeting room.

“Win the ACC championship and earn an automatic bid OR … run the table and possibly get in as a two-loss ACC runner-up, along with Miami,” Dinich wrote. “Clemson’s biggest problem is the rest of the ACC. The Tigers might not have a win against a ranked opponent for the entire regular season, so they have to avoid an upset on their way to Charlotte.”

The 12-team playoff field will feature the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, as determined by the CFP selection committee. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive first-round byes, with the fifth highest-ranked conference champion being seeded where it was ranked, or at No. 12 if its final ranking lands outside of the top 12.

Texas is No. 1 in Dinich’s projected CFP top 12 right now, with Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee comprising the rest of the top five, in that order. Penn State is No. 6, followed by Oregon, Miami and then Clemson. Ole Miss, BYU and Boise State round out the top 12 behind Clemson.

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