ESPN analyst David Pollack says Ohio State’s win over Nebraska this past Saturday is better than anything he has seen Clemson do this season.
Tuesday, on ESPN’s College Football Live, the former Georgia defensive end said the Tigers were his first team out if the College Football Playoff started today.
“I am going to take what I have seen this season guys, and this is not a perfect science. I am taking what I have seen this season and I am taking what you have done on the field against really good competition,” he said. “If you have not played good competition, how do you look? A la North Carolina.”
The two best teams Ohio State has played to this point is Indiana and Nebraska, two teams that the Buckeyes combined to beat 99-17.
Pollack basically said the Buckeyes’ 48-7 route over unranked Nebraska was a better win than the Tigers win over what was then No. 12 Texas A&M. The Aggies are now ranked No. 23 this week.
However, Nebraska has not been ranked all year and struggled to beat South Alabama at the beginning of the season at home and then nearly lost to Illinois on the road before being stomped by the Buckeyes. They also lost in overtime to Colorado.
A&M’s two losses to this point have come to No. 2 Clemson and No. 7 Auburn. Both teams who are a combined 10-0 to this point in the season.
“To me, if I start going through the top of the list with Ohio State, Georgia and LSU, I am more impressed with what they have done and impressed with their resume and how they have handled people than I am with Clemson,” Pollack said. “It does not mean Clemson is a bad team. This is all going to work itself out. But right now, I would have Clemson at No.5.”
The Tigers, like Ohio State, are 5-0 and are coming off a 21-20 win at unranked North Carolina. However, the Tar Heels have wins over South Carolina and Miami already this season and their three losses have come to Clemson, Wake Forest and App State, all teams who are combined 14-0.
However, Pollack still believes Ohio State’s and Alabama’s wins are better than Clemson’s.
“It has to be a competition of what you have done on the field. Who you have beaten has to be important at some point in the debate,” he said. “LSU got a huge win at Texas, maybe the most impressive win of the season. Georgia has a huge win against Notre Dame. Alabama does not have a huge win yet. The Buckeyes don’t have a huge win, but Nebraska is better than anything I have seen Clemson do so far.”
In Pollack’s mind, beating then No. 12 Texas A&M does count as a huge win.
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