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College Football Playoff 2019: Projected top 4 after Championship Week

By Oliver Hodgkinson

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Terrace Marshall Jr. #6 (not pictured) in the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Terrace Marshall Jr. #6 (not pictured) in the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 07: Justyn Ross #8 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers during the ACC Football Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 07: Justyn Ross #8 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers during the ACC Football Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

3. Clemson (13-0)

When Bryce Perkins found Hasise Dubois for a 20-yard Virginia touchdown early in the first quarter of the ACC Championship Game, you could have been forgiven for thinking that we were in for a surprise close encounter.

The Clemson Tigers went on to win 62-17 and book their place in the College Football Playoffs.

What place will it be, however?

There is some serious consideration for them to be higher than where I have them here. After a shaky start to the season, and the narrow win over North Carolina, Clemson have been firing on all cylinders.

Saturday night was no different.

Trevor Lawrence threw for four touchdowns, three of them to Tee Higgins. Travis Etienne went for over 100 yards and a score for what feels like the millionth time in his Clemson career. The defense pitched in with three interceptions. It was a truly lights out performance, on their way to a fifth straight conference victory.

Herein lies the problem for the Tigers.

It’s the ACC conference which has been the blight on their record, and the fuel for the doubters to question their legitimacy. Whilst the Big 12 Championship Game featured the battle between sixth and seventh ranked teams, and the SEC Championship game saw second and fourth ranked teams do battle, Virginia were ranked just 23rd with a 9-3 record.

It would have taken an LSU or Ohio State loss to propel Clemson anywhere higher than third, in my opinion.

The Tigers will get the opportunity to prove themselves, like they did in last year’s National Championship win, when the College Football Playoff semifinals kick off at the end of the month.

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