Really the only question was if Clemson was going to pretend that he got sick before he actually got sick so that he would be able to play. I guess they either decided that it wasn't worth it or that they weren't willing to lie about it.
It's all a ploy to get two ACC teams into the playoffs. Notre Dame wins small in round one, Clemson comes back and wins decisively in the rematch, and both teams make the playoffs.