Remember when Alabama-Clemson III was considered a foregone conclusion? Well, that conclusion -- for now -- is gone as Clemson on Friday became the second top four team in two weeks to suffer a major upset. The No. 2 Tigers lost at Syracuse, 27-24, to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Make no mistake, this is a bad loss. It is not as bad as the one Oklahoma took last week to Iowa State, but it is still pretty bad.
The difference is that Clemson has a better chance of overcoming this loss than the Sooners do theirs. The Tigers already have three high-quality wins under their belt, two of which came on the road. They also have other ranked opponents ahead of them on the schedule.
Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant left the game with a concussion in the first half. The Tigers have a bye week coming up for him to hopefully heal and right the ship. Coach Dabo Swinney has earned the benefit of any doubt, and Clemson has looked too good so far to write them off entirely.
This loss will hurt, but for now, I am keeping Clemson in the projected top four of the College Football Playoff.
As for Alabama-Clemson III, that is now a projected Sugar Bowl semifinal with the Crimson Tide as the top seed and the Tigers as No. 4. The Rose Bowl becomes an all-Big Ten affair between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State.
| DATE | GAME / LOC. | TIME / TV | MATCHUP | PREDICTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 8 | National Championship | 8 p.m. | Title game | Semifinal winners |
Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl | 5 p.m. | Semifinal | (2) Ohio State vs. (3) Penn State |
Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl | 8:45 p.m. | Semifinal | (1) Alabama vs. (4) Clemson |
