Taking the Tigers Seriously: Clemson’s Matchups with other Playoff Contenders

by Julia Funderburk

The second wave of the College Football Playoff Rankings was announced Tuesday, Nov. 6.  Alabama (1) and Clemson (2) didn’t move from their spots from the first rankings; Notre Dame (3) moved up one spot; and Michigan (4) rounded out the top four teams.  The top three teams are undefeated thus far while Michigan’s only loss came from Notre Dame at the beginning of the college football season.  The next three, Georgia (5), Oklahoma (6), and LSU (7), are on the bubble.  Any slip-ups by the top teams, except the Tide, could ensure a spot for the Bulldogs, the Sooners, or the Tigers, given the right conditions.  For example, if Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC Championship (Saturday, Dec. 1), that could be bad news for Michigan’s title hopes.

Clemson’s legitimacy as a title contender has been questioned by almost everyone outside of the ACC, South Carolina fans and Paul Finebaum having the most skepticism.  The Tigers were tested early by the Texas A&M Aggies in a tough road game in September, winning by only two points, and then again by Syracuse (13) two weeks later at home, a narrow four-point victory.  Since then, Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers have been red hot: starting with the 28-point victory against Georgia Tech, Dabo Swinney’s team has steamrolled competitors, scoring an average of 52.7 points against other teams’ average of 13.3 points.

Clemson has steamrolled their competitors. Image from USA Today.

Clemson may not have the toughest schedule but they play well, regardless of their opponents. They sit at the top of the ACC standings, like they have in recent years, with three regular season games left.  A top-25 matchup Saturday (Nov. 11) against Boston College (17) is the toughest remaining game for the Tigers, followed by Duke on Nov. 18, and rival South Carolina on Nov. 25 to end the regular season.  A lot could happen between now and selection day, as it has happened before. Yet, if Clemson remains undefeated they should keep its two seed when the selection committee comes to a final decision on Dec. 3. Since there is a lot of skepticism on how Clemson will fair against opponents outside the ACC I broke down the potential matchups and how they compare.

Clemson (2) vs. Notre Dame (3):

Notre Dame and Clemson would play in the first round of the College Football Playoff, assuming the rankings stick.

Why Notre Dame Wins: Notre Dame’s defense is solid and earns recognition across the NCAA, but efforts that don’t rely on their stout defense are necessary to beat the Tigers.  Notre Dame’s ability to remain calm and control the tempo of the ball game is a huge advantage on the offensive end.  Keeping the offense on the field would keep Clemson’s offense on the sideline.  The defensive efforts from Clemson would be great and without many faults, but the ability of Notre Dame’s offense to slow the tempo, led by hot-handed quarterback Ian Book, would give the Irish a victory and trip to the championship game.

Notre Dame hasn’t played anyone. Image from Sports Illustrated.

Why Clemson Wins: Notre Dame hasn’t played anyone.  They’ll only make the playoff if they win out, and there’s a chance that the undefeated Fighting Irish run out of luck against Syracuse in a couple of weeks.  They haven’t played a team with an offense remotely close to mirroring the abilities of Clemson’s, an offense with players like Trevor Lawrence, an offense that is hard to slow down once they get rolling.  Clemson’s offensive weapons will overwhelm Notre Dame’s defense that hasn’t truly been tested all season.

Clemson (2) vs. Michigan (4):

While unlikely — Michigan must beat Alabama and Clemson must beat Notre Dame for this potential matchup to become a reality — this could be the championship game in January 2019.

Why Clemson Wins: Offense.  Though Clemson’s strength of schedule doesn’t quite meet the quality of the Wolverines’ (Michigan has faced and beaten Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Penn State), Clemson’s offense has much stronger numbers than Michigan’s.  The Tigers have accounted for almost 1,100 more yards of total offense than the Wolverines have and over 100 more yards per game.  Clemson produces more passing and rushing touchdowns.  On the season, Clemson has scored 100 more points than Michigan.

Why Michigan Wins: Defense.  In the regular season thus far, Michigan has held its opponents to less than 2,000 total offensive yards.  Their opponents also score an average of 215 yards per game, a lower number than Clemson’s competitors that score, on average, 269 yards per game.  Total passing yards for Michigan’s opponents is also lower than that of Clemson’s opponents, highlighting the strength Michigan has in breaking up passes and defending the ball.  They also intercept the ball more than Clemson, indicating strong defensive backs that could match well with Clemson’s receivers.

This matchup is one that could be a close-scoring game because both teams are efficient on both sides of the ball.

This Michigan defense is one of the most aggressive in the nation. Image from Michigan Daily.

Clemson (2) vs. Alabama (1):

This is another potential championship game, resuming the pattern of Clemson-Alabama championships in the College Football Playoff era.

Why Alabama Wins: Alabama is the best team in the country and no other team comes close to stopping their march to another title.  Even if Alabama loses the SEC Championship game, they are still favored to make the playoff based on the domination seen in the non-conference games played and in what is considered to be the dominant conference this season.  Their smallest margin of victory this season thus far was against Texas A&M (still a 22-point win for the Tide), meanwhile their largest margin of victory was a 55-point win against Ole Miss.  Alabama hasn’t struggled this year, racking up more than 5,000 yards of total offense while keeping the opponents’ total yardage to less than 2,700 yards.  They are efficient offensively, defensively, they have one of the greatest college football coaches of all time in Nick Saban, and they have Tua.

Alabama has not struggled in a game all year. Image from 247Sports.

Why Clemson Wins:  Clemson will be Alabama’s most evenly matched opponent if they play each other in the title game.  By default, Alabama will be, by far, the most challenging team the Tigers face all season.  With a bit of luck and an almost faultless, almost perfect performance from Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Tee Higgins, and Hunter Renfrow, in addition to the beastly defense giving a hundred percent, the Tigers could make the Tide fight harder than they have all season. Alabama has played against teams with great defenses, but Clemson will be the strongest offense the Tide sees all year.  Clemson is close to Alabama in offensive yards per game (around 4,800 yards with three games left to play before the ACC Championship).  Clemson rushes for more touchdowns and while Alabama’s defense does a great job at stopping the run, Clemson’s running backs are explosive, elusive, and pose a threat to the Tide’s defense.

Clemson’s offense would be the best Alabama faces all year. Image from AP Photos.

This would be an ideal fight (and a probable one at that) for the 2019 National Championship.  The teams are similar in efficiency and the rivalry between the Tigers and the Tide runs deep. They met last year in the first round of the playoff, but both of these teams are ready to play for it all on the national stage again. This simultaneously provides a chance for the Alabama Crimson Tide to prove they are an unbeatable, unbelievably dominant team while making way for the Clemson Tigers to prove that they can beat the best team in the country solidifying their spot in NCAA history as a legitimate team, no matter the conference.

The Clemson Tigers have what it takes to win the College Football Playoff and reclaim their title as National Champions. The offense, led by Lawrence and Etienne, is poised for a championship run.  Lawrence is smart and makes fast, accurate decisions with the football.  Coach Venables’ defense will be fired up and ready to go against any one of these teams if given the chance.  The Tigers don’t come from a star-studded conference like the SEC but they are afforded the talent, coaches, and heart to dethrone Alabama once again.  It is time to take them seriously.

Can Hunter Renfrow live up to his nickname, “Bama Slayer?” Image from Icon Sportswire.

Julia Funderburk is a junior English major and Business minor at Wofford College. She is from Charlotte, NC.