College football countdown: Will Clemson make the Playoff? NCAA.com
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY Note: Over the two weeks leading into the first full slate of college football games, we will take a look at 14 of the top teams heading into 2016 and analyze their chances at making the 2016 College Football Playoff. We continue this series with Clemson, the CFP runner-up that finished 14-1 last year and is ranked No. 2 in the 2016 AP preseason top 25 poll. QB Deshaun Watson should be in Heisman talks. the offense's health and production may falter. WRs and RBs around Watson can perform. a rebuilding defense may not be able to compete. Its defense can force more turnovers. it's tough to make back-to-back CFP appearances. Jack Freifelder: RELATED: Janie Harris: In fact, in the ACC Championship, many Tar Heel fans will argue that UNC could have won that title if the onside kick it recovered wasn't negated due to an offsides call. If that call had not been made, UNC looked poised to make a comeback and potentially defeat Clemson for the title. Clemson does return eight starters to the offense, including Watson, who remains a key component to the Tigers’ offense. And, the Tigers’ offense, with powerful players returning to the field, looks to be fairly solid, even with Peake gone. Still, you never know what holes come from pulling this central player from the lineup. His absence might, as you said, disrupt the flow of the offense. Plus, Watson can’t perform the way he did in 2015 with a struggling offensive line, and while the men on the line return to protect their quarterback once again, Clemson, historically, has trouble keeping the O-line healthy. Last year, Clemson had a lot of luck keeping these men together, but injuries usually run in cycles. With all of this, I am not sure that the Tigers will make another run in the CFP in 2016. JF: The secondary also boasts two senior playmakers in safety Jadar Johnson (two interceptions in each of the last two years) and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley (four interceptions), so there’s still plenty of big play potential to work with for defensive coordinator Brent Venables. JH: Additionally, Clemson’s special teams’ unit could struggle again in 2016, and since it is often special teams that close games are decided by, this unit has the potential to prevent the Tigers from making their way to the CFP. With a slow return game and unexceptional distance in punting and kickoffs, this unit for the Tigers doesn’t exactly inspire fear into opponents, and while head coach Dabo Swinney vowed to improve this part of the team, it still looks to be a concern for Clemson fans at the Tigers take on some serious challengers. Clemson travels to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. Here, the defense will have to stop Dalvin Cook and the FSU offense in order to produce the second Clemson win at Doak Campbell Stadium since 1992. Also, while Clemson defeated FSU by a solid 10 points last year, it remained one of the lower scoring games for the Tigers in 2015, so against a solid FSU defense, Clemson’s offense might struggle this year. Also, Clemson travels to Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2016, where the Tigers have not posted a victory since 2003. And while the Yellow Jackets are coming off a rough season, some improvements on the GT offense might prove detrimental for a rebuilding defense. Finally, Louisville continues to improve and fell just a few points short in defeating Clemson last year, holding the dynamic Tiger offense to its lowest amount of points all season. If the Cardinals can hold the Tigers’ offense again, they might defeat Clemson, derailing the Tigers’ path to the CFP. JF: However, the saving grace for this team will the poise and consistency of the junior quarterback. JH: Clemson looks poised to have another good year led by Watson, just not one that ends with a second run at the national championship title. 2022 Clemson football schedule dates times tv channels scores
Here is everything you need to know about Clemson football for the 2022 season, including the schedule, opponents, results and players to watch. College football champions Every undefeated team to win the national championship since 1936
Alabama won the 2020 college football national championship to become the 62nd undefeated national champion since 1936. Here’s a list of every undefeated college football national champion since then. In-depth analysis preview of Wake Forest-Clemson ahead of top-10 ACC showdown
An in-depth preview and how to watch when Clemson and Wake Forest meet in an ACC clash between the defending College Cup champions and the No. 1 team in DI men’s soccer at Riggs Field in Clemson, South Carolina. Follow FBS Football
Subscribe To Email Updates
Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners Sign Me Up