College Football Rankings 2019: Projected Top 25, Week 4 – Clemson makes statement

Clemson will stay in the top spot of the AP Top 25 for another week after taking down Syracuse 41-6 on Saturday evening in prime time at the Carrier Dome. The Orange were held under 200 total yards of offense by the stingy Tigers defense, and Clemson’s offense compiled more than 600 yards as they ran away with their second ACC victory of the year.

Trevor Lawrence was nowhere near perfect, throwing two more interceptions to surpass his season total from his freshman year in just three sophomore games. But Lawrence also threw for three touchdowns and 395 yards as he overpowered the Orange secondary. Travis Etienne was held under 100 rushing yards and kept out of the endzone for the second straight week, but the Tigers still racked up more than 200 rushing yards by committee.

Dabo Swinney’s team returns home for a Week 4 showdown against a Charlotte team that will be hard-pressed to spring an upset on the Tigers. Clemson’s seemingly inevitable march toward another College Football Playoff appearance continues week after week with each subsequent show of dominance.

Looking at their schedule, it becomes increasingly difficult to see any challenger left on Clemson’s slate that might topple the defending champs. We might need to wait until the semifinals to see the Tigers face a truly formidable challenge.