Clemson has one more path to the College Football Playoff

Rivalry Week presents itself as a chance for fans to have bragging rights against their most hated opponents. But it also gives teams a chance to help their chances of making a bowl game or a conference championship game.

For Clemson Tigersthey had a chance to earn bragging rights over the South Carolina Gamecocks. Instead, they lost 17-14 to fall to 9-3 on the season.

While this may seem like a blow to Clemson fans, they can take solace in the fact that their season is far from over. They still have a chance to make the College Football Playoff. Here’s how Clemson can do it. It is quite simple because there is only one realistic way.

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While Clemson is 9-3 on the year, they hold a 7-1 record against ACC opponents. So they have a chance to compete in the ACC Championship game against the SMU Mustangs, who clinched a spot last week with a win over the Virginia Cavaliers.

The only way Clemson can get to the conference championship game is if the Miami Hurricanes lose to the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. If that happens, Miami would own a 6-2 record in conference play. So that would be worse than Clemson’s 7-1 record.

The next step for Clemson? Defeat SMU in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, December 7 at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. If Clemson wins the ACC Championship, they would be on track to capture one of the top four seeds, designated for the conference champions, in the 12-team College Football Playoff. With that, he would earn a first-round bye.

This is really the only hope for Clemson to make the Playoff. Without an ACC title to their credit, the Tigers will have a hard time earning one of the 12 playoff spots.