College Football Playoff 2020: Projected top 4 after Week 2

1. Clemson Tigers (1-0)

The Clemson Tigers are one of the first elite teams to start their 2020 season as they start their league-only schedule. This was their first game back from their 42-25 loss to LSU in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The Tigers opened the season at Wake Forest with a dominant 37-13 win. They now extend their win streak against the Demon Deacons to 12, going back to 2009.

This was a statement win for the Tigers and their quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne. Lawrence passed for 351 yards and a touchdown on 22 completions (out of 28 attempts) as well as ran for two touchdowns. Etienne rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

The Tigers’ offense accounted for 561 total yards while converting 8-for-15 on third downs. Defensively, the Tigers held the Demon Deacons to 330 total yards on offense. Clemson’s defense accounted for six tackles for loss and 11 sacks. This was a huge step for the Tigers on both sides of the ball, who were missing some of their other star players.

Clemson will continue their season with 10 more regular-season games with nine of them as ACC opponents. The Tigers will host their first game of the season against The Citadel on Sept. 19.

Head coach Dabo Swinney will use this game as a continuation for a rebuilding process from last season and what makes they have encountered in the victory over the Demon Deacons. As long as the Tigers win by a large margin, they remain as the favorites to win the ACC title.