CHARLOTTE – Clemson is headed to the Orange Bowl, making for what could be the ultimate orange invasion in Miami later this month.
The Tigers clinched their first Orange Bowl bid since 2015 with their win over North Carolina late Saturday in the ACC championship game. In years like this one where the ACC won’t be represented in the College Football Playoff, the ACC champion is automatically sent there.
The only bit of intrigue at this point is who the Tigers’ opponent will be come Dec. 30, though other results around the country this weekend may have provided that answer, too.
The official word will come Sunday afternoon when all of the bowl matchups are announced (noon, ESPN), but Tennessee is the proverbial leader in the clubhouse. Why? Because the Orange Bowl is also required to take the highest-ranked SEC or Big Ten team outside of the other New Year’s Six bowl tie-ins.
Since No. 5 Ohio State began the weekend as the highest-ranked team outside of the College Football Playoff field, it looked like the Buckeyes might be the ACC’s opponent in the Orange Bowl (the Rose Bowl was reportedly considering taking No. 8 Penn State as its Big Ten rep despite the Nittany Lions being ranked lower).
But Utah shook up the CFP picture with its upset of No. 4 Southern Cal in Friday’s Pac-12 title game. Ohio State figures to move up and take the Trojans’ place in the playoff when the final CFP rankings are released Sunday afternoon.
Alabama began the weekend right behind Ohio State at No. 6, but the Sugar Bowl gets either the SEC champion or the conference’s next highest-ranked team if the SEC champ makes the playoff. Since No. 1 Georgia is playoff-bound following its win over LSU, Alabama would head to the Sugar Bowl, leaving Tennessee, which began the weekend ranked seventh, in position for an Orange Bowl berth for now.
One potential caveat is what the CFP selection committee decides to do with TCU. The Horned Frogs began the weekend ranked third as one of three unbeatens left in college football, but Kansas State continued the championship weekend chaos by beating TCU in the Big 12 championship game.
It’s possible their three-point overtime loss to a top-10 Kansas State team won’t knock the Horned Frogs out of the top 4, especially since TCU (1) still has fewer losses than Alabama (2), which didn’t even play for its conference championship. But if it does, the Crimson Tide could join Ohio State in the playoff. In that scenario, the Sugar Bowl would be left to take Tennessee. Penn State would be the next highest-ranked team from the SEC or Big Ten, but if Michigan and Ohio State are both in the playoff, the Nittany Lions would head to the Rose Bowl.
Who would Clemson’s opponent be at that point? At No. 14, LSU is the next highest-ranked team from those leagues for now, though the Tigers’ ranking this week will take a hit after they got blown out in the SEC championship game.
But don’t be surprised if Clemson’s orange and purple end up tangling with the big orange of Tennessee in South Beach.
Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store. Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. 
