There are a lot of teams that were hoping someone like Clemson and Alabama would lose. These teams have been on edge all season, and Clemson had their perfect season ruined by Syracuse of all teams on Friday night. That does not mean that Clemson cannot go to the playoff, but it does mean that they have to be very careful if they want to still win the ACC. They have to win out, and they have to hope that other teams start losing so that they can be equal with them in some way. This also means that other teams that go undefeated get a higher spot in the playoff if they win out.
Clemson can win the ACC
The Tigers can win the ACC, but they need some help so that they can slip into the title game. They most certainly cannot lose again, and they would throw their season away completely with a second loss. This team is good enough to win out and win their league, and they would leave it up to the committee because the committee then has to decide if they think they deserve to go. Other teams might have a much better chance of getting in even if Clemson is able to win the ACC.
This helps Penn State
Penn State needed more than anything for someone to lose so that they could comfortably have a spot in the CFP. The issue with Penn State is that they could get left out because they are not seen in the same light as a team like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, or Washington.
Granted, Oklahoma has already lost, but more people would come to see Oklahoma play anyways. Penn State now has a solid spot in the playoff because they can at least say they were undefeated. They have to win out, but they have been given the opening they so badly needed.
Alabama needed this
Alabama really needed Clemson to lose because there was only one team that Alabama did not want to see in the CFP.
They did not want to be playing Clemson sagain, and they can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that it will be much harder for Clemson to get in. To be fair, Alabama could lose many times before the end of the season, but they seem to be in position to keep winning. If they get to the playoff, they would be in very good shape to win yet another title just because the team that gives them the most trouble is not there.
The committee needs to be smart
The CFP committee has to be very smart about this loss because they also saw Washington State lose, and they might have to deal with other losses that all have to be weighed properly. Clemson lost to Syracuse at Syracuse on Friday night in a dome with no air conditioning. That kind of loss matters.
