The first College Football Playoff rankings didn’t include Clemson, but they may have set up something even better for rivalry week: a ranked South Carolina team coming into the Palmetto Bowl.
Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks landed at No. 21 after Tuesday night’s reveal, and that placement makes their path over the next few weeks worth watching closely. South Carolina is 5-3, but the committee clearly took notice of a team that has won five games against Kent State, Towson, Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. The wins over Florida and Tennessee came against ranked opponents, while the losses came to Mississippi State, Alabama, and Kentucky, with Alabama and Kentucky both sitting in the top six.
The schedule ahead could keep South Carolina in the top 25. The Gamecocks are expected to be favored against Texas A&M and Arkansas, with the Aggies coming to Columbia before South Carolina heads to Fayetteville.
If they reach 7-3 before the late-season meeting with No. 2 Georgia in Columbia, they could stay inside the rankings even with a loss there.
An 8-3 South Carolina team would be safely ranked, likely somewhere among the first four out, while even a 7-4 finish might leave enough room for the committee to keep them in the top 25.
That scenario depends in part on how the SEC teams South Carolina has already faced continue to look. Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee all factor into the resume, and the source material suggests not all of them will hold their current standing, though two are expected to remain in the playoff conversation through the end.
Clemson could also enter rivalry week ranked. The Tigers are favored over Syracuse and should also be favored over Georgia Tech in two weeks.
If Duke stays ranked, or close enough, Clemson could move ahead of the Blue Devils. That opens the door to a Palmetto Bowl matchup where both teams are in the top 25.
As things stand, the Tigers might be no higher than No. 23 by the time the game arrives. South Carolina, though, could be much higher - possibly as high as No. 16 if it beats Georgia. For all the noise the committee made on Tuesday, there are still four more rankings to come.
In Other News...
Florida States Coaching Search Just Took A Notable Turn
Florida States coaching search has already become one of the more closely watched storylines in the sport after the Seminoles moved on from Mike Norvell following seven seasons. Rick Stockstill has been handed the interim job, and the timing of the change says plenty about how quickly the school wants to reset after a tenure that ended with a 41-39 record and just 10 wins over the past three years.
One name that surfaced almost immediately was Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, but he quickly shut that down and said his attention is on the Tigers upcoming game against Texas. For Clemson fans, it is another reminder that the ACCs power structure could be shifting again, with Florida State now trying to chart its next move while the search begins to take shape around the country. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Is Saying Goodbye To Armon Mason Under Tough Circumstances
Armon Masons Clemson career is ending the hard way, with the veteran defensive end announcing his medical retirement from football after a run of injuries that kept interrupting what had once looked like a promising path. A sixth-year player and the son of late NBA standout Anthony Mason, he had already missed two of the past three seasons, a frustrating stretch that made it increasingly difficult to get any real momentum on the field.
Mason still plans to stay with the Tigers through Senior Day before stepping away from the sport for good, giving Clemson one more chance to recognize a player who battled through far more than most. For a program that has watched him fight to keep coming back, his exit is as much about resilience as it is about the injuries that ultimately forced the decision. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Syracuse Test Just Got Tougher Than Fans Expected
Clemsons trip to Syracuse was already shaping up as a tricky ACC road test, and Dabo Swinneys latest injury update only adds to the challenge. The Tigers are dealing with several key absences up front and on defense, with guard Elyjah Thurmon and center Harris Sewell both set to miss time, the latter needing minor surgery. True freshman Grant Wise is now in line to start at center, a significant adjustment for a unit trying to hold together in a tough spot on the schedule.
The changes do not stop there. Starting running back Gideon Davidson is expected to sit out the upcoming game, which pushes Jarvis Green into the lead role in the backfield, while linebacker Kobe McCloud is also unavailable and will open more snaps for Fletcher Cothran. For Clemson, the concern is not just who is out, but how quickly the replacements can settle in against a Syracuse team that figures to test the Tigers depth in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]