Chaos in college football means Clemson's CFP miracle is closer than ever

Tiger fans' prayers have been answered.

After the Louisville loss, Clemson needed a miracle to stay in the College Football Playoff picture. The most likely path was through the ACC championship, which would mean SMU or Miami losing two games. But after yesterday, that's no longer the case.

The only way to describe Saturday night is chaotic. Five teams in the College Football Playoff rankings top 16 lost yesterday, and four lost to teams barely over .500. No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 15 Texas A&M, and No. 16 Colorado now have one more loss than Clemson, with No. 14 BYU moving to the same record as the Tigers.

The best possible scenario is Clemson moving up to five spots to No. 12. Technically, that's still slightly outside the CFP because the Big 12 isn't represented in the top 12 teams, and the conference champ is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. However, there's still one game left in the season, plus the conference championships. Two SEC teams in front of the Tigers have two losses, and if the cards are played right in the league, they could both make the conference championship, guaranteeing one to have three losses.

Of course, Clemson needs to do its part. That's why yesterday's game against the Citadel was so significant. Without the victory, Clemson would have no chance, but here's the most interesting part. Next week's game against South Carolina is a potential CFP play-in game. The Gamecocks are No. 18 behind Clemson, and despite having three losses, they'll likely move up with the Tigers.

Three weeks ago, Clemson's chances of making the CFP were slim to none. Now, its destiny is in its control. That's the state of college football now, and luckily, the momentum is swinging toward the Tigers at the perfect moment.