Clemson locked in at No. 3, host notes Top 3 are in "absent being boat raced"
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The Playoff Committee released its fifth set of rankings for 2019 a few minutes ago, and Clemson held on to the No. 3 spot in the polls. The narrative on set about the Tigers has shifted quite a bit the past few weeks.
Last week, the conversations surrounded avoiding Clemson in the No. 3 spot. This week the theory that the Top 3 teams were all in no matter what, outside of a blowout, festered to the top of the discussion.
After a day filled with Dabo Swinney defending Clemson’s resume, host Rece Davis joked, "Clemson better beat Virginia in that ACC Championship Game or there is no chance that they go to the playoffs because nobody respects them or believes they're good."
David Pollack responded, "I think Clemson would be in even with a loss."
Davis agreed and said he wasn’t being serious.
"So do I,” Davis noted. “My tongue was firmly planted in my cheek, making fun of Dabo because I think these top three teams are in regardless of what happens, absent getting boat raced by 50, which is not going to happen, Top 3 are going to be in."
As for the poll, No. 1 Ohio State held on to the top spot in the CFB Playoff standings, leaving LSU in a matchup with Clemson in the No. 2 vs. No. 3 semifinal. Georgia continues to hold on to the No. 4 position after knocking off Georgia Tech last weekend.
Utah and Oklahoma are just outside looking in from the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively.
Clemson (12-0, 8-0) will take on No. 23 Virginia in the ACC Championship Game at 7:30 PM Saturday in Charlotte. The Tigers are currently riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 27 games.
Clemson has been in the Top 4 of the College Football Playoff ranking 28 times equaling Alabama as the most prolific team in the history of the CFB Playoff Era.
| CFB Playoff Era | National Titles | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | Total Weeks Ranked |
| Alabama |
🏆🏆 |
18 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 28 |
| Clemson |
🏆🏆 |
8 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 28 |
| Notre Dame |
|
0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Ohio State |
🏆 |
3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| Oklahoma |
|
0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| Michigan |
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Florida State |
|
0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Oregon | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| Mississippi State | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| Georgia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | |
| LSU | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | |
| Auburn | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| Washington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| TCU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Miami | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ole Miss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2019
|
Week 1 |
#1 Ohio State |
#2 LSU | #3 Alabama |
#4 Penn State |
| Week 2 | #1 LSU | #2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 3 | #1 LSU | #2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 4 | #1 Ohio State | #2 LSU | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 5 | #1 Ohio State | #2 LSU | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Playoff |
2018
|
Week 1 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 LSU |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 2 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 5 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Georgia |
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson |
#3 Notre Dame |
#4 Oklahoma |
2017
|
Week 1 |
#1 Georgia |
#2 Alabama | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 2 |
#1 Georgia |
#2 Alabama | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Miami |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Miami | #3 Clemson |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Week 5 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Auburn | #3 Oklahoma |
#4 Wisconsin |
Playoff |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Oklahoma |
#3 Georgia |
#4 Alabama |
2016
|
Week 1 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Michigan |
#4 Texas A&M |
| Week 2 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Michigan |
#4 Washington |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Michigan |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Michigan |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 5 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson |
#4 Washington |
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Washington |
2015
|
Week 1 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 LSU |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Alabama |
| Week 2 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 3 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 4 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Oklahoma |
#4 Iowa |
| Week 5 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Oklahoma |
#4 Iowa |
Playoff |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Michigan State |
#4 Oklahoma |
2014
|
Week 1 |
#1 Mississippi State | #2 Florida State | #3 Auburn |
#4 Ole Miss |
| Week 2 | #1 Mississippi State | #2 Florida State | #3 Auburn |
#4 Oregon |
| Week 3 | #1 Mississippi State | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 TCU |
| Week 4 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 Mississippi State |
| Week 5 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 Mississippi State |
| Week 6 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 TCU |
#4 Florida State |
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Oregon |
#3 Florida State |
#4 Ohio State |
If the College Football Playoff started today
#1 Ohio State (12-0) vs #4 Georgia (11-1)
#2 LSU (12-0) vs #3 Clemson (12-0)
Outside looking in:
5. Utah (11-1)
6. Oklahoma (11-1)
7. Baylor (11-1)
8. Wisconsin (10-2)
9. Florida (10-2)
10. Penn State (10-2)
11. Auburn (9-3)
12. Alabama (10-2)
13. Oregon (10-2)
14. Michigan (9-3)
15. Notre Dame (10-2)
16. Iowa (9-3)
17. Memphis (11-1)
18. Minnesota (10-2)
19. Boise State (11-1)
20. Cincinnati (10-2)
21. App State (11-1)
22. USC (8-4)
23. Virginia (9-3)
24. Navy (9-2)
25. Oklahoma State (8-4)