Clemson ranked No. 4 in final advanced metrics rankings

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Thursday, January 16 2020

Two major advanced metrics ranked Clemson No. 4 in their final college football rankings for the 2019-20 season.

Clemson is No. 4 in the SP+ metric (28.1), which came to ESPN this year from longtime stats guru Bill Connelly, with Ohio State on top (35.4), LSU next (33.1) and then Alabama (32.4) and Georgia at No. 5 (26.8).

Football Outsiders' FEI has the same top quartet, with Alabama just .01 ahead of Clemson but Ohio State .11 ahead of LSU on top and Wisconsin at No. 5.

ESPN's Football Power Index, which has had Clemson preseason No. 1 the last two years, also had the Buckeyes at No. 1 (33.7) with Clemson No. 2 (31.5) then LSU (30.3), Alabama (29.4) and Georgia (24).

The efficiency ratings assess the best statistical performances outside of garbage time and weigh a number of factors in all three phases of the game to rank teams.

Clemson finished with the No. 5 offense, No. 4 defense and No. 84 special teams group on SP+; No. 5 offense, No. 1 defense and No. 114 special teams with ESPN FPI; and No. 5 offense, No. 1 defense and No. 68 on special teams with the FEI.