Here are three takeaways from the third round of the College Football Playoff rankings, unveiled Tuesday night on ESPN. As the Mustangs spend their third straight week on the outside looking in, one has to believe that the CFP committee has made its stance pretty clear: Win your conference or you’re not invited.

After another eventful weekend of college football comes another College Football Playoff rankings release. These become more important with each passing week as the regular season hits the home stretch. Selection Sunday is less than a month away, after all, and time is running out for teams to leave an impression.

The Clemson Tigers are coming off a much-needed win against the Pittsburgh Panthers to keep their playoff hopes alive. With the win, the Tigers finished with a very impressive 7-1 record in the ACC, with their only loss coming against the Louisville Cardinals.