CFB analyst: Blue blood bias works for Clemson, against TCU in CFP rankings

One analyst argues that Clemson's reputation has them as high as they are in the initial CFP rankings.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Nov 02 11:35:47 GMT-04:00 2022

Clemson checked in at No. 4 in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings, and one fellow unbeaten’s name was mentioned with Dabo Swinney’s Tigers by college football pundits the most in the aftermath.

That’s No. 7 TCU, which is also 8-0 and also ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press top 25.

FOX Sports lead analyst Joel Klatt seemed to take the most exception to the disparity.

“They are balanced on offense. Very balanced,” Klatt said on his rankings reaction. “If you look at them just from a team perspective, you're going to look at the fact that they've got a better Strength of Record (3) and Strength of Schedule (63 per ESPN), than let's say, Clemson (SOR of 4; SOS of 72), who's in the top-4 right now. They've got a better quarterback than Clemson right now, in particular after a week where Clemson had to bench their starter when they were down against Syracuse at home. Max Duggan is a Heisman Trophy candidate at this point going into November. All of those things are better than let's say, Clemson, who is three spots ahead of them at No. 4?

“It doesn't make much sense to me, except for the fact that Clemson is, right now, a blue blood.”

Klatt expounded on that thought.

“They've (Clemson) got a national championship on display,” Klatt said. “I think that carries the day. I don't think it's right. I don't think it's right that we allow history to dictate how we view these teams specifically this year. I understand it can inform our decisions, but is that right? Is that right to judge Max Duggan against Trevor Lawrence? I don't think that that's right. Is it right to judge Sonny Dykes in his first year at TCU against the Deshaun Watson Clemson team that won the National Championship? I don't think that's right. But that's clearly what happened because this is blue blood bias.”

ESPN’s Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica didn’t go as far as Klatt, but he did raise questions on the two rankings.

“If you look at their strength of record – it’s better,” Fallica said of TCU on Tuesday. “The schedule is better. They’ve got two wins, based on the committee rankings, that are better than Clemson has and they’re ranked behind them? Again, if they win out, it will work itself out, but that surprises me that they were ranked so far behind Clemson as they are.”

Klatt isn't as convinced it will all work out for TCU and believes that if another recent Big 12 power had the same resume – they wouldn’t be dealing with such a low early mark.

“If Oklahoma or Texas, from the Big 12, had the exact same schedule and resume and outcome as TCU, they'd be no worse than No. 4,” Klatt said. “This is brand bias at its finest. And the hard part for me, and you look at this now, TCU needs some help...This matters. These rankings matter, because it sets the stage for everything that goes on the rest of the year. So now, you're looking at it and I don't know if you can say that TCU controls its own destiny. As an undefeated in the Power 5, in what I think is the deepest league in the country this year....It's pretty clear to me that they need some help even if they run the table. I think they desperately need Alabama to lose at some point... And I don't think that's right.

“I think it has everything to do with their standing in the sport as far as being a blue blood or not being a blue blood. The burden of proof is clearly on TCU. I thought they got jobbed more than anybody else in these first rankings.”