College Football Playoff scenarios for 2019

#7 Clemson somehow loses to the winner of Virginia-Virginia Tech

As crazy as it sounds with Virginia and Virginia Tech being unranked and #24 respectively, that might be Clemson’s most challenging matchup all year

Nobody has blown out teams quite like Clemson over the last six weeks. Since just escaping at North Carolina in a 21-20 game and going on their bye week, the Tigers have outscored the opposition 315-58 (average of 42.8 points), including a 52-3 destruction of a Wake Forest team that had been in the top 20 just a couple of weeks prior.

However, because of a really soft schedule and some difficulties to get the engine running early on, the Tigers saw themselves outside the top five in the initial CFP rankings. With losses by Alabama and Penn State, they now control their own destiny, but they would not be able to survive a defeat.

Like I mentioned already, Clemson will face in-state rival South Carolina in the regular season finale, which should not be a problem for them, but with how weak the ACC has been, there is no room for error. Outside of 11-0 Clemson, every team has lost at three games and none of them has a winning record against AP-ranked opponents. By far the Tigers’ toughest test should have been Texas A&M in week two, who were #12 at that point, but even that was a home matchup and the Aggies don’t look as impressive now at 7-4.

Of course if the Tigers take care of business they are already assured a spot in the playoff, but as crazy as it sounds with Virginia and Virginia Tech being unranked and #24 respectively, that might be Clemson’s most challenging matchup all year. Both Coastal teams are 5-2 inside the conference and 8-3 overall.

Virginia’s offense is led by dual-threat QB Bryce Perkins and they are top five among Power Five teams in terms of time of possession. Virginia Tech on the other hand has been top ten in punts forced and red-zone scoring defense, pitching consecutive shutouts in the ACC these last two weeks. Relatively speaking, Dabo Swinney’s guys shouldn’t struggle with whoever they face in the conference title game however, even if VT has been surging in the later portions of the season.