Clemson Being Left Out of College Football Playoff Top-4 is a Blessing in Disguise for Dabo Swinney

The next time Dabo Swinney's asked a question about Clemson's No. 5 ranking by the College Football Playoff committee, he'll say what he has to say: that he's deeply disappointed, and he hopes that his team's able to earn a spot.

The truth is, Swinney might be pretty satisfied with the ranking right now, and he has a bunch of reasons to be.

First off, there's currently no better motivation for Clemson than being left out of the top-four in the CFB by a single spot. Swinney's defense will look to light up their next three opponents so badly that the opposing quarterbacks of each team will be seeing ghosts every time they step onto the field.

Secondly, No. 4 Penn State will have to face off against No. 1 Ohio State in what might be the marquee matchup of the year, aside from Alabama and LSU playing each other this Saturday. If Penn State's dominated by the Buckeyes, Clemson will leapfrog the Nittany Lions in the rankings.

The fact of the matter is that Clemson will be completely fine, and everything will work out unless they somehow find a way to lose to NC State, Wake Forest or a South Carolina team that already spoiled Georgia's bid for an undefeated season.