Clemson Football: Predicting the first CFP rankings

Projections for No. 16-20

16. Penn State: It’s the same old same old for Penn State and James Franklin. They’ve been really good against everyone except Ohio State and Michigan. That works just fine for the CFP committee. Both losses this season were to ranked opponents, and there were points in the first half against the Buckeyes when the Nittany Lions were controlling the game.

17. Tulane: How good does that win over Kansas State look now? With Cincinnati losing to UCF this past weekend, the Green Wave now stands as the highest-ranked Group of Five team, which puts them in line for a New Year’s Six bowl bid.

18. LSU: Hate on Brian Kelly if you like, but if you watched that opening season game against Florida State then you understand the work Kelly and his staff have done to get this team to where they are now. They control their own destiny in the SEC West.

19. Wake Forest: The Deacons were punched in the nose by Louisville this weekend, but otherwise they have had a great season. Their other loss came in overtime to Clemson, and they are the only team with a win over Liberty.

20. Oklahoma State: Speaking of being punched in the nose, Kansas State took a hammer to the Cowboys’ nose this past weekend. That doesn’t mean Oklahoma State isn’t still a good team, and they will continue to factor in the surprisingly deep Big 12.