The Clemson Tigers have been absent from the four-team College Football Playoff during the past three years.
But the Tigers’ two national championships and six consecutive playoff appearances were enough to make them the second-best program in the history of the old format in a new one. ranking of the 12 best programs in the four-team model by Sporting News.
At the top of that ranking, of course, is Alabama. This is impossible to argue. Nick Saban led the Crimson Tide to three national championships in the four-team era against national powers Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State.
Alabama also made three other appearances in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the only teams that denied them further championship gear were Georgia and “Little old Clemson.”
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers outshot ‘Bama 35-31 with one second left in the 2016 title game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Two years later, Clemson and Trevor Lawrence blew up the Tide, 44-16, in a championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. That four-touchdown romp allowed Clemson to become the first 15-0 national champion in Division I college football history.
That’s why the Tigers came in second in the Sporting News rankings, which use a formula that awards points to teams based on combined criteria that include national championships, championship game appearances, semifinal appearances, Six-of-a-Year appearances. New and NFL Draft selections, among others.
Clemson edged out Ohio State and Georgia, two-time consecutive national champions in 2021-22, for second place. The Tigers have had 56 players selected in the NFL Draft during the four-team era from 2015-2024. They appeared in four national championship games and played a total of seven CFP-New Year’s Six games.
By Sports News:
“Ohio State and Georgia have a strong argument here, but the Tigers are two-time national champions like the Bulldogs and have four CFP championship appearances. Maybe some of that was built into the ACC schedule. Clemson has produced 55 NFL Draft picks over this stretch and nine consensus All-Americans. Still not convinced? The Bulldogs weren’t the powerhouse they are now at the start of the CFP era, and Clemson went 2-1 against Ohio State in the CFP semifinals. That could change in the 12-team CFP era, but Dabo Swinney has done his part to keep the Tigers elite over the past 10 seasons. Clemson has gone 30-10 the last three years — and the new format will make them playoff regulars again.
In an ironic twist, Clemson has Alabama largely to thank for the Tigers’ position in these rankings; The Crimson Tide defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship Game last year to end the Bulldogs’ chance at the first three-peat in modern college football history.
Clemson will face Georgia to open the 2024 season at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, August 31. Start times for the 2024 season have not yet been announced, but the matchup between the Tigers and Bulldogs will be one of the most anticipated games of Week 1.
