Why Clemson's open date could be huge for the Tigers' playoff hopes

The No. 9-ranked Clemson Tigers are about to face the toughest stretch of games left on their schedule, but this open week could prove big for their College Football Playoff and ACC Championship hopes.

Clemson opened up the 2024 season with a disappointing loss to Georgia in Atlanta. The Bulldogs led 6-0 at halftime, but turned in four touchdown drives in the second half to win 34-3. Georgia, now ranked No. 1 in the country, continues to impress after going into Austin last weekend and beating Texas 30-15.

Clemson has quietly been consistent since that point. The Tigers are now 6-1 on the season and sit at a perfect 5-0 in the ACC. They've yet to play a close conference game, but that could change heading down the stretch of the season with Louisville at home, followed by road matchups against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. They'll also close the season with a home game against in-state rival South Carolina.

Why Clemson's open date could be huge for the Tigers' playoff and ACC hopes

Right now, Clemson sits in a three-way race for the ACC Championship. If the Tigers, Miami and SMU all go undefeated in conference play, the two teams that go to Charlotte will be selected based on conference opponent winning percentage. That could honestly leave any of the three teams out depending on what happens down the stretch of the season.

But, Clemson fans have the rare opportunity to sit back this weekend and hope for carnage.

SMU plays arguably the toughest game it has played in conference this season with a road trip to Duke. The Mustangs know that they've got a ranked Pittsurgh team coming to town next weekend, so there may be a temptation to look ahead for Rhett Lashlee's program.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, the Panthers provide one of just a few opportunities for Clemson to score a ranked win this season. The Tigers have yet to play a ranked opponent outside of UGA, but there's a chance that both Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh — two road games, nonetheless — could provide those ranked resume builders for the Tigers down the stretch.

This weekend, Pitt will host Syracuse (5-1). If the Panthers win that one, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them make the jump from No. 19 to somewhere around No. 17 or higher in the polls. If Pitt continues to win out — which would include a win over SMU, by the way — the Panthers could be a top-12 type test for the Tigers. Regardless, Clemson fans will be pulling for the Panthers to win this weekend.

Virginia Tech, already with three losses, also has a chance to backdoor itself into the rankings if the Hokies win their next two — Georgia Tech and Syracuse — before playing Clemson. Regardless, Virginia Tech is playing much better, so that will certainly not be an easy road test for the Tigers as they travel to Blacksburg.

Outside of the ACC race, there are also a couple of games that Clemson fans will keep their eyes on.

Any upsets inside the top-10 will prove to be helpful for the Tigers, but perhaps the most important non-conference game might be between Notre Dame and Navy. If Clemson somehow doesn't win the ACC, it will be important for as many at-large teams to have eliminated themselves as possible. That's where Notre Dame comes into play.

The Fighting Irish with an 11-1 record and wins over Navy and Army are going to be included in the playoff. That means one less spot for an ACC or Big 12 team trying to find a bid outside of winning their conference title game. The best path, not just for Clemson but for either of those two conferences to get an at-large bid, is to have Notre Dame eliminated. Navy provides the best chance for that to happen.

As the Tigers heal this weekend and get prepared for a tougher stretch of games, it will be interesting to see what doors might open in front of them this weekend.

Read More