Clemson Tigers

Why Clemson winning the national championship would be good for college football

Published Jan. 9, 2017 5:56 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Stewart Mandel

TAMPA, Fla. -- Amidst these turbulent times, in a country ever-more divided, perhaps 49 states at least can come together on one issue.

Can we all agree it would be better for college football if Clemson wins Monday night's national championship game?

Not that we have anything against Alabama. (Auburn fans excluded.) Nobody would dispute that Nick Saban's program is the current gold standard. It's won four of the past seven national titles and 26 straight games. The Tide are the greatest dynasty the sport has seen in many decades.

Which is precisely we need them to lose Monday night. Simply put, their continued dominance is getting boring.

"I'm sure a lot of people are looking to see a new face at the top," said Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware. "Alabama's earned everything they have gotten, they have earned their success, they have earned their brand for the way they played over the past couple years. But hopefully we might have a couple new fans [Monday]."

As offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt put it, the Tigers are "America's Team."

Normally it's enjoyable to watch a team or a player achieve sustained excellence. We don't tire of seeing LeBron James take over a basketball game or Tom Brady lead the Patriots on a game-winning drive.

But dynasties are supposed to end at some point. Alabama's just keeps rolling. If Saban hoists the trophy Monday night for the fifth time in eight seasons, people in other parts of the country might start losing interest (if they haven't already).

Of course, nobody in charge can come out and say what the rest of us think -- that Alabama's extended dominance is starting to suck the life out of college football. "Were the Yankees bad for baseball?" countered CFP executive director Bill Hancock.

No. But the Yankees did occasionally lose the World Series. Or, you know, not make it.

Somebody asked Saban on Saturday if he's "having fun" at yet another championship game.

"I think you enjoy the challenge when you're in this position," he said. "Players have done a wonderful job all year of creating an opportunity for themselves, and as a coach, you want to do the best job that you can to try to put them in the best position where they have a chance to be successful."

That doesn't sound fun at all.

What America needs right now is Clemson's walking powder keg of exuberance, Dabo Swinney, standing on a trophy stage late Monday night illuminating 25 million viewers about "B.Y.O.G. -- Bring Your Own Guts!"

Swinney, who's twice beaten both Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer in bowl games, got his first crack at Saban a year ago. The teams played a down-to-the-wire thriller that Alabama won 45-40.

For many reasons, that matchup lacked the seeming urgency of this one. For one thing, Clemson was the undefeated team last year; Alabama had lost during the season. Columns proclaiming Saban's dynasty dead had spilled forth just a few months earlier when Ole Miss beat 'Bama for a second straight season.

Since then, the Tide have rolled off 26 straight wins. More than that, they've barely been threatened since Deshaun Watson's epic performance in this game a year ago. Their 2016 defense, Swinney jokes, has created its own statistic, "nots" -- as in, not-offensive touchdowns. Alabama has a ridiculous 15 of them.

Last week, the Tide offense practically sleepwalked through a national semifinal game against Pac-12 champion Washington and still won 24-7. Before that, 'Bama beat Florida 54-16 in the formerly competitive event known as the SEC championship game.

Again: Boring.

Clemson, on the other hand, is anything but boring. The Tigers have Watson, the two-time Heisman finalist who loves to chuck the ball downfield and see if stud receiver Mike Williams might just grab it. Sure, he might get intercepted. See if he cares. He'll come back at you again next series.

They have Boulware, the bearded tackling machine who can't help sounding off on everything. They have defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, a 26-year-old All-Pro disguised as a college freshman. And most of all, they have Swinney, the former Alabama walk-on receiver who basks in disrespect -- real or imagined.

"I was a crawl-on," Swinney said Sunday. "I was one notch below a walk-on."

See? Clemson even has good jokes.

If Alabama is the Death Star, Clemson is Luke Skywalker -- if Luke had a bunch of 6-5, 340-pound linemen clearing a path for him. The Tigers may be 27-2 over the past two seasons, but they are still very much the outsiders attempting to crack the establishment.

This is their fourth playoff game in two seasons. They've been an underdog in every one of them.

"Us being the underdog, I'm sure people are going to root for us," said Clemson center Jay Guillermo. "We've got Coach Swinney, the kind of excited, young coach kind of deal. People like that and buy into it, just like we have. So yeah, I'm sure people will be rooting for us."

But more than its status as underdog, Clemson is not exactly college football royalty. The school's sole national championship came 35 years ago. Prior to its run of four BCS or CFP bowl games over the past six seasons, The Tigers played in a whole lot of Peach, Gator and Music City bowls.

"Eight years ago, I don't think anybody saw us as a national championship contender," said Swinney.

When Ohio State knocked off Alabama in the 2014 playoff, it was an upset but hardly a sea change. It just meant that one blueblood traded places with another that season.

Clemson climbing atop the college football mountain, on the other hand, would break the monopoly of the sport's tiny cluster of traditional contenders.

"I hope that it would give a lot of people some hope out there, that hey, national championships aren't just for the Alabamas and the Michigans and the Notre Dames and the Ohio States," said Swinney. "Greatness is for all of us."

Not lately.

Tuscaloosa has held a bit of a stranglehold over greatness lately. Saban's program recruits the No. 1 class in the country every year. And reloads every year.

Out goes Heisman winner Derrick Henry; in comes bulldozer Bo Scarborough. Dominant D-lineman A'Shawn Robinson leaves; even-more dominant D-lineman Jonathan Allen thrives. Heck, the Tide part ways with their acclaimed offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin, the week of the championship and another former two-time head coach, Steve Sarkisian, is just ready and waiting in an office cubicle.

But Clemson is quietly developing the same penchant for rinsing and repeating.

As much as Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins galvanized Swinney's offense a few years ago, Watson and Williams (and a whole bunch of other receivers) have ratcheted it up even a few more levels. All-American defensive end Vic Beasley gave way last year to All-American defensive end Shaq Lawson who gave way this year to All-American defensive end Christian Wilkins.

But for as much as Clemson has accomplished these past several years -- consecutive ACC championships, Orange and Fiesta Bowl blowouts, wins over Florida State, Oklahoma, Auburn and Ohio State, among others -- it won't fully ascend to the sport's top tier unless it captures its No. 1 prize.

Win or lose Monday night, Alabama will still be Alabama. It will start right back at the top of the polls next year.

But wouldn't we all benefit from a little breath of fresh air in the meantime? The Alabama dynasty need not necessarily end, but perhaps just a little encouragement to other programs that it's still worth their suiting up every year?

"A lot of these teams that have these rich and great traditions of championships -- they're not going away," said Swinney. "But there's no reason why we can't be great at Clemson, as well."

Only one team kept them from achieving that ultimate greatness. Perhaps there's a reason the Tigers have been afforded a second chance.

share

Get more from Clemson Tigers Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Clemson Tigers