MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Until the final few weeks of the regular season, both the Clemson Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers truly believed they would be spending this time of year preparing for the College Football Playoff.
No. 10 Clemson (No. 7 in the CFP rankings) was undefeated until the first week of November and didn’t take its second loss until the final game of the regular season. The Tigers ultimately cruised to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and finished just a few spots out of playoff position.
No. 6 Tennessee (in AP and CFP rankings) was undefeated until the same day and didn’t take its second loss until the penultimate week of the regular season. The Volunteers beat the then-No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide and finished even closer to to the top four.
