This week, ESPN’s Heather Dinich released her updated predictions for this year’s College Football Playoff (subscription required) heading into Week 4 of the season.

Dinich, ESPN’s lead College Football Playoff insider, gave her latest projections for the 12-team CFP field and eight teams on the bubble.

After Clemson’s 34-3 season-opening loss to Georgia, Dinich didn’t list the Tigers among the teams in the playoff mix. However, after Clemson’s 66-20 rout of App State, the Tigers cracked Dinich’s “CFP Bubble Watch” as one of the first four teams on the outside looking in of the 12-team playoff.

And now, heading into Week 4, with Clemson coming off an open date last weekend, the Tigers (1-1) remain one of the “first four out” in Dinich’s latest Bubble Watch.

Right now, along with Clemson, Dinich’s first four teams out of the playoff include Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, with the next four out after that being Notre Dame, Boise State, Utah and LSU.

“If the Tigers can win the ACC, which they’re good enough to do, they’ll be in the playoff,” Dinich wrote. “And they don’t face Miami during the regular season. ESPN Analytics gives Clemson at least a 50% chance to win each of its remaining games.”

Dinich’s current projected 12-team playoff field features Texas (No. 1), Ohio State (No. 2), Miami (No. 3) and Kansas State (No. 4) as the top 4 seeds (first-round byes).

As things stand now ahead of Week 4, Dinich’s projected first-round matchups (on campus) are Northern Illinois (No. 12 seed) at Georgia (No. 5); Alabama (No. 9) at Oregon (No. 8); Missouri (No. 11) at Ole Miss (No. 6); and Penn State (No. 10) at Southern Cal (No. 7).

Of course, this is the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, which will feature the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, as determined by the CFP Selection Committee.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive first-round byes, with the fifth highest-ranked conference champion being seeded where it was ranked, or at No. 12 if its final ranking lands outside of the top 12.

Clemson is looking to get back in the CFP this year after missing the playoff each of the last three seasons, following six straight playoff appearances in the four-team field from 2015-20.

Following their open date, the Tigers return to action this Saturday against NC State (2-1) at Death Valley (12 p.m., ABC).