Clemson Should Be 2016 College Football Playoff Favorites

It’s way too early to start opining about this year’s football season, but I’m going to do it anyway. I am picking LSU and Clemson for the College Football Playoff in 2016. Several factors went into this outlandish prediction, such as 1. the SEC is starting to show cracks in its foundation, 2. Alabama might not be able to cope without Cam Robinson, and 3. Clemson was looking stellar after spring practice.

As far as the SEC goes, they are still without a doubt one of the strongest conferences in college football. With an absurd amount of talented four- and five-star recruits, each team in the SEC promises to give their opponents a brawl. Tennessee in particular is looking like a contender for SEC East. They made a strong showing last year, and they promise to be better in 2016. LSU may be the most talented team in the SEC this year. Leonard Fournette is still a manchild despite the late-season flub in 2015. If they can keep Les Miles in the driver’s seat, this team could easily win out in the SEC West.

Regardless, the conference has been plagued by controversy. First, the Florida Gators suspended two key players; there were recruiting violations and players getting arrested at Alabama; and there was the hullabaloo with Laremy Tunsil at Ole Miss. This doesn’t mean that the conference will have trouble on the gridiron this season, but it may mean that the NCAA will be looking at the SEC very carefully. This is a shame because we should be looking at national title chances, depth charts and vetting new recruits; we shouldn’t be wondering which scandal will hit next.

Nick Saban is an evil genius who always manages to find a way to win, however, the arrest of OT Cam Robinson on major charges puts a huge hole in the Tide’s offensive line. Last season, Robinson started in 29 games and did not allow a single sack or penalty in last year’s CFP. At the very least, Robinson will be suspended for several games, and the first few games of Alabama’s season may be crucial. In addition, the Tide lost assistant coach Bo Davis for recruiting violations and dismissed No. 1 JUCO prospect Charles Baldwin. Again, Saban is a brilliant little elf and knows how to exploit his opponents’ weaknesses—the difference this year is that Alabama has failings of its own.

Clemson, on the other hand, has been quiet. The team is not the same as last year’s playoff contenders. They did lose some key defensive players to this year’s draft, and they have some issues in the secondary. However, QB Deshaun Watson gets better every game, and he has one of the country’s best receiving units. This should be more than enough to keep the Tigers in contention for the national title. They gave Alabama quite a scare last season, and with their explosive offense, they should demolish any team that has the misfortune to play them.