Clemson On the Road To Elite Status In College Football

No matter what happens in the upcoming national title game, Clemson has changed their reputation forever. The term “Clemsoning”, formerly a derogatory bit of snark meant to imply that team’s tendency to choke at inopportune moments, has been definitively put to rest. Or perhaps we can change its meaning altogether; perhaps we can change the meaning of the term to signify “kicking tail”. Coach Dabo Swinney has led his team to an unprecedented 14-0 season, and if they win the national title game they will be the first team in NCAA history to go 15-0. The question is, has Clemson become an elite program, or is this year’s charmed season a Cinderella story with a tragic ending?

Clemson will give the Alabama Crimson Tide their most grueling test this season. Alabama coach Nick Saban has assembled the most unremitting collection of defensive talent in the NCAA, but Saban also characteristically struggles with the spread. Clemson’s dual-threat QB Deshaun Watson and smash-mouth spread may give Saban’s defense problems, as the Tide have a tendency to trip up against an up-tempo offense. Saban has been updating his defense against the spread, and his utter annihilation of Michigan State proves that his experiments have thus far been successful.

However, the Spartans are not the Clemson Tigers. Watson is one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and has a similar playing style to other QBs (Cam Newton and Tim Tebow) that have given Saban trouble in the past. Bama may still win this game — their defense has evolved and is ranked No. 1 in almost every category. Clemson will not go gentle into the good night, though, so Saban needs to prepare himself for a brawl.

Clemson has not won a national title in more than three decades, but their solid recruiting, consistent winning seasons and administrative support are all in place. They have responded to every challenge and have shown all the signs of being an enduring contender. This year may indicate a change in leadership in college football’s rigid caste system. In the past two decades, the championship games have been played by the same 11 teams with only four teams as an exception. Clemson has not been idle, though. Swinney’s program is 75-26 overall in seven seasons and gets better every year.

The only thing Clemson lacks to be considered an elite program is history. Analysts state that Clemson may not be elite yet, but they are well on the way. A win over Alabama on Monday might just change all that.