Big Ten-SEC Invitational? Clemson is the most mis-ranked team in the latest College Football Playoff poll

During an appearance on CBS Sports’ “College Football Pregame Show” on Saturday morning, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney did his best to pitch the world on why his Tigers were worthy of College Football Playoff consideration. 

Swinney took the opportunity to take a shot at the system.

“We’ve scheduled tough,” he said. “All you can do is play the schedule that you have. We basically have an SEC-Big Ten Invitational. That’s really what we’ve got in college football. So you just got to focus on what you got.” 

Swinney has been known for quotable moments over the years. Sometimes he has a point, others you’re left scratching your head. In this particularly instance, you have a coach politicking for his team and his conference. It’s understandable. 

But Swinney has nothing to complain about. Absolutely nothing. Because on Tuesday evening, Clemson was the most mis-ranked team in the entire poll, checking in at No. 12 overall and seemingly on the verge of cracking the field after doing absolutely nothing with the schedule it was given. 

It was fair to feel for Clemson. Why? Because it was brave enough to schedule Georgia for its opener, and that gamble didn’t pay off. Being blown out by the Bulldogs could be the difference between making the 12-team field and missing it. Had Clemson scheduled an overmatched opponent instead, it would be a one-loss team and firmly in the discussion for an at-large spot. 

But, as Swinney said, you play your schedule. Georgia was a part of Clemson’s schedule. It was one of only two capable teams on the entire schedule along with Louisville. The Tigers were blown out in each of those games. Yes, anyone who watched the Louisville game knows it was a blowout. 

So with no quality wins and blowout losses in each of the two games against respectable opponents, why is Clemson knocking on the door as an at-large team right now? What is it about the Clemson resume that has it No. 12? Is it just that everybody else sucks?

“Clemson slid up with some losses ahead of them by Alabama and Mississippi, and they had a win against Citadel, obviously, but that wasn’t the big reason,” College Football Playoff Committee chair Warde Manuel said Tuesday night. “Obviously they’re at 9-2, with only two losses. The teams right behind them have three losses. We just felt as a committee as we looked at their body of work, with three straight wins after their loss to Louisville, including back-to-back wins against Virginia Tech and Pitt, that they deserved to move up into that 12th position.”

Wins over Virginia Tech and Pitt? What is that nonsense? Do you use quality wins based on teams in your poll or do you just say wins over Virginia Tech and Pitt are impressive to fill the void?

If you want to rank the Tigers ahead of the cluster of teams from the SEC with three losses, go for it. Those teams have also not done enough with their schedules to be on the doorstep. But at least those teams — Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina — have wins on their schedule against good (or great) teams. Alabama and Ole Miss have beaten Georgia and South Carolina has beaten Texas A&M and Missouri. And it’s fair to question whether any of those three teams would have two losses had it played Clemson’s schedule. We know how Alabama and Ole Miss did against the Georgia team that flattened Clemson on national television.

But this isn’t a column to make a case for three-loss SEC teams. I’m not fan of SEC entitlement either, so forget Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina for a moment. 

What about Arizona State? The Sun Devils are also a two-loss team, but they are the hottest team in America at the moment. ASU has beaten Kansas State and BYU, who check in at No. 19 in the latest poll. Shouldn’t we swap ASU and Clemson in the poll, putting the Tigers (rightfully) behind the Sun Devils and the more accomplished SEC teams?

Why is Arizona State four spots behind Clemson? What is it about Clemson’s resume or even eye test that appeals to the Committee outside of the logo on their helmet? I’ll wait for an answer. I’ll be waiting for a long time because there isn’t one.

We’re no longer at the point in the season where unjust rankings will take care of themselves. This is decision-making time. This is an interesting situation because Clemson does have a game against South Carolina this weekend.

If the Tigers beat South Carolina and add a quality win to their resume, there isn’t a rational way for Alabama or Ole Miss to jump them. Alabama plays Auburn and Ole Miss plays Mississippi State. If Clemson, already ahead in the polls, adds a ranked win, what case is there to be made? 

So we have to seriously consider what happens if Clemson does beat the Gamecocks, the winners of five-straight games. Is Clemson one weird result away from cracking the field? Could we see a two-loss Clemson team with a South Carolina win being compared to Indiana and maybe winning that debate? Is there a world in which there are three ACC teams in the final field just days after Swinney’s “SEC-Big Ten Invitational” comment? 

Maybe. 

That would be more understandable after Clemson picks up a hypothetical win over South Carolina. That would be, without question, an impressive victory. A reminder, though: Clemson hasn’t played that game yet, let alone won it.

Even so, on Tuesday night, Clemson got the benefit of the doubt. There is no identifiable reason the Tigers should be banging on the door of this Playoff field. There is nothing to like about their resume. 

All teams outside of the top 10 have warts at this point of the season. That’s what happens when you open the field up to 12 teams. Teams who aren’t elite are going to make the field. That’s the reality of the way the system is currently set up.

But Clemson doesn’t have any beauty marks to cancel out those warts. Clemson is just a wart on the rankings. 

So Swinney should go to bed feeling good tonight. Because for as sarcastic as he was about the preferencial treatment the SEC and Big Ten get, the committee really went out of their way to reward his Tigers for accomplishing absolutely nothing.