Defending champion Clemson entered the season as the overwhelming preseason No. 1, and without losing a game, or superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence, or any of their other standouts, the Tigers find themselves No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff ranking.
As improbable as that might have seemed back in August, the selection committee made a resounding statement with the way it made its first selections on Tuesday night: The Tigers are not only being held to a higher standard than everyone else, they are being punished for playing in the ACC.
Specifically, they are being punished for a one-point win over North Carolina.