The first month of the college football season has come and gone, and with the book closed on September, ESPN college football studio host Matt Barrie recently gave what he sees as the biggest September surprises in the sport.
Barrie pointed to the first of those surprises being the fact both Clemson and LSU are already out of the College Football Playoff race just a month into the 2023 campaign.
No two-loss team has ever made the four-team College Football Playoff field, and Clemson (3-2, 1-2 ACC) and LSU (3-2, 2-1 SEC) each have two losses on their respective resumes.
“First month of the season is in the books, and when you look at the month that was, as we turn the page to October, there are so many surprises you can break down over the first month of the season,” Barrie said. “First one to me, as I look big picture at what we’re going to be going into October with – part one, Clemson… Six playoff appearances, two national championships – out of the College Football Playoff discussion. In the month of September, gone. I don’t think many of us had that going into the season. Bit of a surprise that Clemson already out of the College Football Playoff picture.
“Same with LSU. I had LSU in the playoff, I had LSU winning the SEC, I had LSU winning the SEC West. And already, before we turn the page to October, two losses with still maybe the most talented team in the SEC West…”
Of course, Clemson suffered a season-opening loss at Duke on Sept. 4 before falling to Florida State in an overtime heartbreaker at Death Valley on Sept. 23. The Seminoles handed LSU a season-opening loss in Orlando on Sept. 3, and the Bayou Bengals are coming off a loss in a 55-49 shootout at Ole Miss last weekend.
“To me, it’s stunning with both of those teams out,” Barrie said. “Because LSU and Clemson both have those aspirations, and here we are October 1st, and LSU has already stubbed their toe twice, same as Clemson. So, both of them out of the College Football Playoff picture, a bit surprising to me, that development.”
Prior to missing the CFP in each of the last two seasons, Clemson earned six consecutive playoff berths from 2015-20, appearing in the national championship game four times during that remarkable run and capturing the national title in 2016 and 2018.
After winning their first ACC game of the 2023 season last Saturday at Syracuse, the Tigers will try to even up their record in conference play this Saturday when they host Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1 ACC) at Memorial Stadium (3:30 p.m., ACC Network).
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