By Will Vandervort.
Dabo Swinney says the College Football Playoff Rankings, which were released on Tuesday evening, don’t matter.
The Clemson coach said to the media on the ACC Coaches’ Teleconference call Wednesday that to celebrate a ranking, even a high-ranking, on Oct. 29 is not wise.
The Tigers, who are off this week as they get ready to go to Wake Forest a week from Thursday, are ranked No. 21 in the first playoff rankings, which will select the four teams that make the inaugural College Football Playoff at seasons end.
“If you are not happy with where you are at on the lower part, don’t worry about it. Just keep playing,” Swinney said. “I know that Michigan State last year, I think on October 27th when the BCS (Poll) came out, they were 24th in both polls and then on December 8th they were fourth in both polls.
“So you just have to keep playing. This is college football, as we all know, and it changes weekly and sometimes dramatically. All we can do is focus on where we are. Right now we are about where we have earned to be.”
But can Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) move up is the question?
The Tigers have already played two of their three biggest games of the year—from a national perspective—and lost them both. The Tigers lost to Georgia, who is ranked No. 11 in the playoff rankings, and to No. 2 Florida State.
Clemson has knocked off No. 25 Louisville already, but no one else on the Tigers’ schedule is ranked or even close to being ranked. Clemson was hoping rival South Carolina would be ranked high when the two face off on Nov. 29th for their annual grudge match in Clemson, but the Gamecocks have struggled to this point and are 4-4 overall heading into Saturday’s home game against Tennessee.
South Carolina entered the season as the preseason No. 9 team in the country.
“We have a long way to go,” Swinney said. “Where are we going to be in December? That really depends on what we do at practice and in our next few ball games.”
After going to Wake Forest, the Tigers will visit Georgia Tech, who was ranked a few weeks back in the AP and Coaches Polls, in Atlanta and then will come home to host Georgia State and South Carolina to conclude the regular season.
The only possible way Clemson might make a significant jump in the rankings is for FSU to lose Thursday night at Louisville and then at Miami on Nov. 15. If the Tigers can continue to keep winning—they have won five straight—then they could play in the ACC Championship game and maybe move up some as long as Duke—who is ranked No. 24 in the first poll—represents the Coastal Division and is still ranked, and of course the Tigers win the game.
Of course those are a lot of ifs that have to happen, and odds are that is probably still not enough to get Clemson in the top 4. In other words, Tuesday’s first College Football Poll probably did matter, at least from a Clemson perspective it did.