College Football Playoff: Which Teams Are Staying or Going?

Clemson Tigers

By virtue of their unblemished record and impressive resume, the Tigers are in the good graces of the Committee. However, the numbers suggest that they haven't played as well as their record and ranking may otherwise indicate.

Clemson, with a nERD score of 25.98, sits at sixth in our rankings, which is more to due with their inconsistent offense than their elite defense. Yet the Tigers are undefeated with wins over Auburn, Louisville, and Florida State, so they can't be removed from the New Year's Eve foursome. That is, unless they falter down the stretch.

Clemsoning has become a term synonymous with unexpectedly losing a game by playing down to an opponent's level of play. The Tigers would have to go to the extremes of Clemsoning in order to surrender their bid for an undefeated season.

Their remaining foes -- Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, and South Carolina -- have a combined nERD of 3.83 on the season, with Pitt the highest ranked of the trio at 48 in our rankings. Even at that, Pitt has to travel to Death Valley this week. The chances of a Clemson loss aren't what you would call high.