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History says Clemson football will miss 2020 College Football Playoff

By Jeff Benedict

Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) CoachesÕ Trophy presented by Amway is displayed at the Eddy Street Commons near the campus of the University of Notre Dame before the Notre Dame vs. Clemson game. The iconic Waterford crystal has been awarded to the National Champion and No. 1 team in the Amway Coaches Poll since 1986.
Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) CoachesÕ Trophy presented by Amway is displayed at the Eddy Street Commons near the campus of the University of Notre Dame before the Notre Dame vs. Clemson game. The iconic Waterford crystal has been awarded to the National Champion and No. 1 team in the Amway Coaches Poll since 1986. /
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Clemson football has a month to make history.

Over the last 12 seasons under head coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson football has made a lot of program history – winning streaks, ACC titles, and national championships just to name a few.

After the initial release of the College Football Playoff Top 25 Tuesday night, the Tigers will have to make college football playoff history.

By now you know that Clemson football is ranked third in the initial College Football Playoff release. However, in the short history of the College Football Playoff era, none of the initial teams ranked third have ever gone on to make the College Football Playoffs.

Here is a look at the initial teams ranked third and what happened to them after the initial rankings.

2014 – Auburn

The Auburn Tigers were the first team to be ranked third in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. They would not stay there long as they would lose to Texas A&M just two weeks later.

Things went from bad to worse for Auburn in 2014. They went on to lose four of their final five games in 2014.

2015 – Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes were the second-ever team ranked as the third seed in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

They would keep that third spot for weeks nine through 11 of the 2015 college football season. They would fall out of the Top 4 after losing at home to Michigan State, 17-14.

They would finish the season with a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.

2016 – Michigan Wolverines

We all forget that Michigan was ever ranked in the College Football playoff. They would stay at the third spot for the first four ranking reveals in 2016 and dropped out of the Top 4 after a loss to Ohio State.

They finished the season in the Top 6 of the College Football Playoff rankings.

2017 – Notre Dame

The Irish held their ranking for just two weeks before a trip to Miami Gardens turned their season on its head.

They would get beat by #7 Miami 41-8. A season sealing loss to Stanford two weeks later saw Notre Dame end up in the Citrus Bowl.

2018 – LSU

LSU would be the initial three seed for 2018. They held that spot for just a week as they would lose to Alabama just four days after the rankings came out.

Another loss to Texas A&M at the end of the season ended the Tigers any hope of getting back into the Top 4.

2019 – Alabama

In a reversal of 2018, Alabama held the initial third ranking in 2019. They would lose to LSU four days later and completely miss the College Football Playoffs for the first time since its inception.

Clemson football will have anywhere from three to four games remaining in the 2020 college football season. As we have seen over the last six seasons, the Tigers will get their best shot from Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, FSU, and Notre Dame who will all attempt to knock Clemson football from the College Football Playoff.

A loss over the next four weeks will see Clemson football’s College Football Playoff streak come to an end.

Next. 5-star DE Korey Foreman coming back to Tiger Town. dark

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