Clemson and Dabo Swinney had a jackpot entry to the SEC Championship match against SMU Mustangs. The team came fresh off a third defeat over South Carolina at the home ground and couldn’t clinch a spot in the latest penultimate CFP rankings. On the flip, SMU mounted history rising to NO 8 in the ranking with zero top 25 wins under their belt. The Tigers, however, seem to be in control of their destiny so far. If they can take care of the business in the ACC championship game, they can secure a spot in the CFP as the ACC’s automatic bid, regardless of their CFP setback. But would that even be a case to consider? Let’s hear from the football astute Joel Klatt.

Dabo Swinney has his eyes fixed on the prize. He previously lambasted the committee for snubbing ACC teams, more particularly Clemson in the ranking. But now, his only goal is to win over the Mustangs and change the course of their fate at the final hour of the conference contention. You can have some clarity on the potential outcome catering to what Joel Klatt picked up from the CFP internals as a member of the mock committee.

Breaking the conundrum, the analyst noted, ”But the process in which they ranked teams down in Dallas, the process with which they rank teams is that you’re basically always ranking sets of four okay so you’re not taking the entire top 25 and debating the entire top 25. They break it out into these pods, and so you’re always debating like this set of four teams at a time and you’re ranking them and re-ranking them and arguing about them and debating them and putting the resumés up and doing all that work I firmly believe based on what the rankings were that they gave us on Tuesday night.” Alabama and SMU have been incomparable so far and but the ACC Championship outcome can forge a change.

”If SMU loses this game to Clemson, they will be compared to Alabama, and so in the event that they lose, we’re going to have a resume conversation,’‘ Klatt added. Adding to Klatt’s hint, If SMU wins, the answer will be straight and simple. The easiest way to go for the CFP committee. It will be both beneficial for Bama and the Mustangs. Clemson out with a four loss, and Alabama in without putting themselves in a bubble discussion against SMU.

However, this is not the first time Klatt dished a reality check to Dabo Swinney and Clemson Tigers.

Joel Klatt humbled Clemson Tigers after a brutal Louisville win

Early in the season, Joel Klatt had an eye-opening moment about the Tigers. Clemson’s football’s ACC title and playoff goals came to an abrupt halt when they took a frustrating 33-21 home loss to Louisville in early November. They lost the game as a favorite, and Klatt couldn’t be more disappointed with that.

The Tigers were on a tear with a six-win record in the season with the nation’s largest scoring offense. They showcased so much momentum that the Fox analyst announced on his podcast that they are going to get to the playoff, continuing their high-flying pace. But as they failed shortly against a tight Louisville defense, Klatt withdrew his stance.

“I was totally wrong about Clemson. I was putting them in the playoff, and they threw out an absolute stinker…at home. I did not see that coming.”, the Fox mogul retreated.

His corrective opinion was right, though. The Tigers’ playoff hope still hangs in the balance. But a win can turn their fate around for real. Chaos around! Bulk up for a huge weekend ahead.