With the chaos ensuing in the SEC, some schools, at the outset, were revelling in the face of the outcome. Watching the cannibalism unfold, as everyone involved preyed on each other. Till there was nobody strong enough left to contend for their playoff berth, Clemson was one such school. Dabo Swinney and his Tigers were the big winners of the weekend.

No.12 Clemson (9-1) prepares to face the no.15 South Carolina Gamecocks (8-3) in the Palmetto Bowl on Saturday. While this would usually be an afterthought amidst rivalry weekend, this iteration of their clash has a lot more than pride riding on it. The game is being billed as a virtual play-in, with the winner potentially making it to the CFP. Its magnitude is not lost on Clemson QB Cade Klubnik. 

During his pre-game presser, Klubnik was asked if the backdrop of the game was weighing on him. His stoic response was one that expressed his focus on taking care of business. “My eyes are set on Saturday. Going to play the best I can. Going to try to have the best Wednesday practice I can today, then go attack tomorrow. [Then] go attack Friday and then go attack Saturday. That’s what that’s what my eyes are set on”, Cade Klubnik said. At Least on surface level he is not worrying about how the bigger picture plays out. However, his coach, Dabo Swinney, is very much bringing that facet to the forefront.

Swinney has outwardly spoken about what he believes rests on this final weekend. He was asked in an interview why Clemson should be in the playoffs. “There’s a lot of reasons. But the main reason would be winning this week”, said Dabo Swinney. “We’ve got that opportunity and, quite frankly, I think so does South Carolina. This is a top 15 matchup. It would be one of the best wins in the country on anybody’s resume when you look at it. [Also] nobody gets the control over who you schedule other than your non-conference. So, I mean, there’s a lot of reasons. But [if] we go win this game and we’re 10-2, I don’t see how you can’t put us in”.

Clemson are favoured by a field goal (-3) at Death Valley to beat the Gamecocks. If Clemson does win, it’ll be interesting to see what the committee does with them. Indiana is currently treading the cusp of the cut-off point. If the Hoosiers win their game, would Clemson leapfrog them? That is a question the powers that be will hope they don’t have to answer. With how last weekend went, there is bound to be somebody on the periphery taking a misstep.

Which teams stand in Clemson’s way of making the CFP?

As the southeast self-immolated in Week 13, conferences that are perceived as auxiliary and inferior have now found their voice. The ACC in particular. 3 teams from the ACC are now ranked in the top 12 by the CFP committee. Two of Clemson’s adversaries in their quest for a playoff berth, apart from the aforementioned Indiana, are, in fact, Miami and SMU. If either one loses, a couple of things could happen. Dabo Swinney and his Tigers enter the playoffs the straightforward way- through the rankings. What it would also do is give Clemson an opportunity to play for the ACC championship game and a potential bye in the first round.

Apart from these two, the Tennessee Vols are in a precarious position. At 8th place, their disposition appears safe if they win. However, the Vols face a pesky Vanderbilt side, which has already shown their capability to slay Goliath. An upset is always on the cards in the 2024 SEC.

With the advent of the 12-team playoff, those who lobbied for it wanted the regular season to matter more. They have been granted their wish and then some. Heading into the final weekend, nobody knows who’ll be granted a ticket to the CFP. Dabo Swinney and Clemson will look to complete their part of the bargain and hope the rest of the pieces fall into place.