College Football Playoff Week 4 lessons: Clemson, Utah emerge while USC tumbles

College football’s Week 4 didn’t have any truly stunning upsets, but we got to know more about the teams that should be in College Football Playoff contention at the end of the year. Some teams aren’t out of it, while others aren’t as dominant as we expected, and the pool for one spot looks a lot bigger than it did a week ago.

Here are five lessons from Week 4 as they relate to the CFP:

1. Clemson’s not done yet

It seemed the college football world moved past Clemson after the opening 34-3 loss to Georgia, but reports of the Tigers’ demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Since that loss, Clemson has a 66-20 win against Appalachian State and a 59-35 win against NC State on Saturday.

Yes, the Wolfpack started a true freshman quarterback, but it didn’t matter. Clemson was up 28-0 in the first quarter and the game was over not long after it began. The Tigers used quarterback Cade Klubnik’s legs a bit more, highlighted by his 55-yard touchdown run. Running back Phil Mafah left the game briefly with an apparent shoulder injury, but returned and immediately scored on a 38-yard touchdown run. He finished with 107 yards on seven carries.

Clemson doesn’t need to be a top-four team to make the CFP. The Tigers just need to win the ACC. The Clemson we’ve seen in the last few weeks looks like a team that could get an automatic or maybe even at-large spot. Clemson hosts Stanford next week and then travels to Florida State. The Tigers don’t play Miami in the regular season and will get Louisville at home, making for a manageable slate.

Clemson has a 29 percent chance to make the Playoff, according to The Athletic’s projections, with a 25 percent chance to win the ACC.

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Much of the hype around the Volunteers this season was about their quarterback, but Saturday’s 25-15 win at No. 15 Oklahoma was a different approach. The Vols knew Oklahoma couldn’t move the ball against their defense, and they played conservatively in the second half to secure a win without style points, and that’s OK. (Oklahoma’s defense also appears to be very good, so don’t play too risky.)

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Iamaleava was good, completing 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, but the Vols ran the ball 52 times total. Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold was such a disaster, with three turnovers, that he was benched in the first half for true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Tennessee led 19-3 at the half and played the second knowing the Sooners wouldn’t catch up.

Oklahoma finished with 222 total yards and 1.1 yards per rush, including sacks. This Tennessee defense is really good, and it’s why the Vols are in prime CFP position. Their chances of making the Playoff increased from 58 percent to 75 percent, according to our model.

3. USC blew a chance to make an early statement

The Trojans have improved, especially on defense. It’s obvious. There’s reason to feel good about the direction of the program under Lincoln Riley again. But Saturday’s 27-24 loss at Michigan was a badly missed opportunity. USC came back from a 14-0 deficit to take the lead in Ann Arbor, but last year’s poor tackling showed up at the worst possible time, as the Wolverines ran their way down to a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

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Michigan threw for just 32 yards. The Wolverines had fewer than 20 total yards in the second half going into their final drive. But USC threw a costly pick-six and the defense stumbled at the end. A win would’ve put USC at 3-0 with wins against LSU and Michigan and a manageable path to a CFP spot. Instead, the loss means the Oct. 12 home game against Penn State could be a must-win for Big Ten championship game hopes. It also means USC may only be able to afford one more loss to have a chance at an at-large bid. This would’ve been a good win to have in its back pocket, as its odds to make the Playoff fell from 69 percent to 45 percent in our model.

Utah WR Dorian Singer had seven receptions for 95 yards in the Utes’ win against Oklahoma State. (William Purnell / Imagn Images)

4. Utah took early control of the Big 12, but can it hold?

Utah’s trip to Oklahoma State to open Big 12 play was always going to be a statement game for early advantage in Big 12 play among the favorites. That edge went to Utah, which won 22-19, holding on after having a 22-3 lead in the fourth quarter. The Utes defense was stout as expected, holding the Cowboys to 285 yards and running back Ollie Gordon II to just 42 rushing yards.

Quarterback Cam Rising missed another game with a finger injury on his throwing hand. Receiver Dorian Singer said earlier in the week that Rising would play. The betting line swung from -2.5 for Utah to -2.5 for Oklahoma State overnight Wednesday, seemingly indicating he would not. Rising ultimately warmed up but did not play. Backup Isaac Wilson completed 17 of 29 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, along with 41 rushing yards. It was enough to win, and his play has been better in recent weeks, but Utah likely needs Rising healthy if it wants to win the Big 12 and make the CFP.

Among the other Big 12 preseason favorites, Kansas is 1-3, Arizona is 2-1 and Kansas State is 3-1 after a late-night blowout loss at BYU. The Utes get Arizona next week, and three of their final four games are against BYU (4-0), Iowa State (3-0) and UCF (3-0).

5. The fifth CFP spot for the Group of 5 is wide open again

It didn’t take long for the good feeling from some Power 4 upsets to drop away. Memphis lost 56-44 at Navy, one game after beating Florida State. Northern Illinois lost in overtime to Buffalo, one game after beating Notre Dame. Toledo lost to Western Kentucky one game after beating Mississippi State. It was a reminder that it’s tough for any G5 team to go undefeated against G5 teams with a similar talent level (or a unique style, in the case of Navy).

Boise State also has one loss to Oregon. UNLV, ranked in the coaches poll, is undefeated for now, and James Madison, pedestrian for two weeks, beat North Carolina 70-50 in a stunning game. And then there’s Liberty, now 4-0 after pulling away late for a 35-24 win against East Carolina.

Most of the early favorites for the top G5 spot have dropped a game or two, keeping this race wide open as we move into conference play, but the Undefeated Liberty Question continues to loom over it all.

(Top photo of Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah: John Byrum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)