ESPN: Clemson Playoff chances boost on bye week |
What can a week off do for a team? Well for Clemson it meant a 10 percent better chance to make the College Football Playoff per ESPN.
Their Playoff Predictor bumped the Tigers to a nation-leading 82 percent odds to return for a fourth-straight CFP appearance. They hold the second-best chance (47) to Alabama (53) to make the championship game - and likewise for winning it all (33 to 24). There is a clear projected top-four going into the season's second half with Clemson, Alabama (80), Ohio State (72) and Notre Dame (65). Three teams hold a 20 percent or better shot at this point in weekend upset-victim Georgia (27), Michigan (22) and Oklahoma (22). Undefeated and top-10-ranked UCF is given less than a one percent chance. ESPN's FiveThirtyEight has the same quartet but gives a little more space for chaos, with Alabama (65) and Clemson (64) given 60 percent or better odds and Ohio State (52) and Notre Dame (51) just over 50. With a win over NC State, they calculate the Tigers' chances moving up to 72 percent. ESPN's Playoff panel has Clemson as the 3-seed in three of the four picks and another analyst has the Tigers No. 4. In weekly rankings, GameDay panelist Kirk Herbstreit ranked the Tigers No. 3 behind Alabama and Ohio State and ahead of Notre Dame. College Football Final analysts Joey Galloway and Jesse Palmer pegged Clemson for No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.
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