Three tigers enter a room before the evening circus. They appear equally fierce. Two are sent to the big tent. The third? His pedigree is called into question, and he is sent off to a sideshow.
Clemson, Louisiana State and Memphis are all undefeated and in pole position to win their respective conferences. All have home wins over top-25 teams. And, yes, all three are called the Tigers. So it was notable when the College Football Playoff selection committee released its first rankings of the season Tuesday night and, as expected, Clemson and L.S.U. were ranked No.