Which team has the best chance of making it? If the Tigers can beat No. 10 NC State on Saturday, then it will be the same-old answer. Clemson will be through the most-difficult part of its schedule at that point, and that would put the Tigers on track to reclaim the ACC championship and make a seventh CFP appearance.
Heading into Week 5, we have the Tigers joining No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State in the usual-suspects playoff.
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That does not mean Michigan and USC cannot shake that up. The Wolverines, however, were not as crisp in a 34-27 victory against Maryland in Week 4, their first semi-test of the season. The Wolverines still have to contend with the Buckeyes in the Big Ten East, and that won’t be easy. USC survived an upset bid in a 17-14 victory at Oregon State, and the Pac-12 championship road has a few more potholes.
Clemson has the easiest route to the CFP if it can beat the Wolfpack. That’s on the line this week.
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The College Football Playoff semifinals will be on Dec. 31 this season. Those semifinals will be played at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta and the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. The College Football Playoff championship game is on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
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