This national analyst questions Clemson’s appearance in the initial College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season.

ESPN’s Greg McElroy gave his reaction to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s first CFP Top 25 rankings of the 12-team playoff era, which were revealed Tuesday night on ESPN.

Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) cracked the top 25, coming in at No. 23 in the first CFP rankings.

But McElroy says he doesn’t get why the Tigers are ranked in the top 25 and asks, who have they beaten?

“I still am trying to figure out why Clemson, at this point – outside of knowing that they’ve dominated some very bad teams – why is Clemson right now in the top 25?” McElroy said on his Always College Football show.

“I’m curious. Honest question, and this is not knocking on Clemson. I just don’t think they’ve done anything to warrant being in the top 25. Clemson’s best win this year, against a 5-4 NC State team, and I don’t think NC State – we’ve seen NC State against quality competition all year – I don’t think NC State’s that good of a 5-4 team. So Clemson, really to me, has no business being in the top 25.”

Clemson checked in just ahead of Missouri (No. 24) and Army (No. 25) in the initial CFP Top 25 of 2024.

“People that are killing Missouri right now for being in the top 25, I understand that,” McElroy said. “Missouri is 6-2. But at least Missouri beat Vandy. Vandy is not in the top 25, but at least Vandy is good. NC State has not been this year.”

Clemson — after seeing its ACC Championship and playoff hopes suffer a major blow with last Saturday’s upset loss to Louisville — will try to bounce back in this Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (3:30 p.m., ESPN).

Louisville (No. 22) is ranked one spot ahead of Clemson in the first CFP rankings, while Miami (No. 4), SMU (No. 13) and Pittsburgh (No. 18) are the other ACC teams that appeared in the rankings.

Tuesday night marked the first of six weekly CFP Top 25 announcements televised on ESPN, leading up to the sixth and final reveal on Selection Day (Sunday, Dec. 8).

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