The College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking drama is heating up, and it’s got fans, analysts, and even the selection committee, Warde Manuel, on the defensive. In these past few weeks, nobody has been more catching strays than the committee chairperson. With the new 12-team format shaking up the process. Warde has been put under the microscope for his controversial ranking decisions—specifically placing the 9-2 Clemson Tigers ahead of the 8-3 Ole Miss and 9-3 Alabama, both of whom play in the SEC and had tougher competition. Well, when your body of work includes a weak schedule and no wins against playoff-caliber teams, how do you justify this? The critics are certainly asking the same thing!

On November 27, Michael Bratton, host of ‘That SEC Podcast’, posted a tough question on X: “Why is Clemson ranked ahead of Alabama and Ole Miss?” The query was as pointed as it gets. And Warde’s response—“Just wanted to ask what went into the decision to put Clemson at 12 over teams like Alabama and Ole Miss, considering their body of work this season?” A question that had every college football fan fuming, except the Tigers.

Warde’s response? A classic case of committee speak: “Well, Clemson slid up with some losses ahead of them by Alabama and Mississippi. And they had a win against Citadel, obviously, but that wasn’t the big reason.” Warde said that being a committee chairperson of CFP and putting Citadel and Playoff in the same sentence is crazy work. “Obviously, they’re at 9-2, with only two losses. The teams right behind them have three losses. We just felt as a committee. As we looked at their body of work. With three…. after their loss to Louisville…… they deserved to move up into that 12th position.” 

Look, it does make sense from a fair perspective. You can’t blame the Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney for playing in the ACC and having an easy workload on Saturdays. But it’s not fair for the Rebels and Alabama to some level. However, it’s not like they already secured the spot. First, they gotta go through the No. 15-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in this weekend’s finale.

Can Clemson Tigers crush the Gamecocks and book their playoff ticket?

The Clemson Tigers’ season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. While they’ve been beating the brakes out of weaker programs with ease, their losses to top-ranked squads like Louisville and the Bulldogs have left a stain on their resume. This Saturday’s showdown against the No. 15-ranked Gamecocks isn’t just another meaningless rivalry game—it’s a playoff lifeline, not just for the Tigers but also for the 8-3 Gamecocks.

According to some so-called analysts and bookies, they’ve put Clemson as a favorite to wrap up this game. But let’s not run the tracks on the Gamecocks. They are absolute train wreckers. Their 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, has been putting up the numbers on ranked programs.

But Dabo Swinney has one hell of a squad at Clemson. They have a solid defense. And their quarterback, Cade Klubnik, has been steady, racking up over 2,700 yards and 29 touchdowns and only just 4 picks. But the real issue? The Tigers haven’t knocked off a ranked team this season. A tough loss to Louisville and that 34-3 blowout by Georgia have put a dent in their playoff chances. For Warde’s ranking to make any sense, Clemson needs to prove they’re playoff-worthy—starting with a big win over South Carolina.