As the regular season in college football winds down, all eyes are on the College Football Playoff rankings and who is going to make the final playoff bracket. Week 13 was a chaotic one full of upsets, with Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Colorado all going down. One of the biggest beneficiaries of that was Clemson, who jumped up to No. 12 in the rankings after blowing out The Citadel of the FCS.

Clemson sits as the first team out in the current protected bracket because No. 16 Arizona State would get an automatic bid as the Big 12 champion.

Many fans were stunned to see Clemson so close to the projected cut line, and they voiced their displeasure on social media when the rankings were released.

“This is f*****g hilarious. Clemson played 2 Top 25 teams all season, AND LOSES TO BOTH OF THEM!! This committee is a joke!” one fan posted on X, formerly Twitter. Another fan wrote, “Clemson at 12 is so f*****g insane lmao. They’ve beaten one team over .500! Why do we have to do this? Why are there three 3-loss SEC teams in the top 15? This s**t sucks.”

Related NewsArticle continues below
This year's Gala honored former Tampa Bay Buc wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. The mission of the annual Dick Vitale Gala's is to raise money for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation for Cancer Research to help men, women and children diagnosed with cancer. This year the 2022, 17th Annual Dick Vitale Gala raises a record $11.1 million. For more information and how to donate visit v.org. Sar Dick Vitale Gala 12
Keyshawn Johnson shares bonkers USC football NIL value estimate if he played today
Michigan Wolverines quarterback helmets sit on the field before a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Raymond James Stadium.
Michigan football battling two Big Ten rivals for 4-star DL
USC Trojans linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (4) intercepts a pass intended for Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC pursuing rising 2027 talent with Junior Seau ties

Clemson was blown out in its only game against a team in the current projected field when Georgia beat it 34-3 in the season opener in Atlanta, leaving many fans confused as to why it would deserve a potential at-large bid.

Not only did Clemson get a favorable ranking, but Dabo Swinney and company have a chance to finally grab a marquee win that they're currently lacking. Clemson will host No. 15 South Carolina on Saturday in the Palmetto Bowl rivalry, and both teams will feel like they have a chance to make the 12-team bracket with a win.

Clemson can also still make it into the ACC Championship Game with a loss by No. 6 Miami (FL) on the road against Syracuse in its season finale. Clemson's game against South Carolina isn't a conference game, so it has no influence on whether the Tigers make the conference title game. Of course, if it does end up winning the ACC, Clemson will likely get an automatic bid into the CFP.