I have done several radio shows in the last week and, on everyone of them, I have been asked, “Is Clemson a legitimate national championship contender in 2025?”
Each time I replied with “Yes.”
I think Clemson has the potential, based on the current state of its roster, off-season acquisitions and schedule, to contend for a national championship. However, understand I wrote “the potential to contend for a national championship.”
Winning a national championship is not easy. A lot of things have to go right for a team to win a national title, which is much harder today considering how many games the national champion will have to play – 16 or 17.
Heck, it has never been easy.
Since 1975, only 22 schools have won a national championship in major college football, and that is including the days when the polls produced two national champions.
When you think back to Clemson’s last two national championships, think about how fortunate those teams were. Yes, they were great teams, but did you know they did not have any serious injuries.
Do you know how hard that is?
It is rare for a football team to go through a season with no major injuries once, much less, two seasons, but that is what happened in 2016 and 2018 for the Tigers. Also, Clemson caught some breaks along the way.
Five times in 2016, Deshaun Watson rallied the Tigers from what looked like sure defeat, to victory. In 2018, it appeared, both times, Texas A&M and Syracuse had Clemson beat. However, the Tigers found a way to win both games.
Great teams do that, they find ways to win even when it looks bleak.
There is a reason why only 22 schools have won a national championship since 1975.
By the way, Clemson’s three national championships are tied for the third most in the sport in the last 50 years.
Every National champion since 1975
Oklahoma: 1975, 1985, 2000
Pitt: 1976
Notre Dame: 1977, 1988
Alabama: 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020
USC: 1978, 2003, 2004
Georgia: 1980, 2021, 2022
Clemson: 1981, 2016, 2018
Penn State: 1982, 1986
Miami: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
BYU: 1984
Colorado: 1990
Georgia Tech: 1990
Washington: 1991
Florida State: 1993, 1999, 2013
Nebraska: 1994, 1995, 1997
Florida: 1996, 2006, 2008
Michigan: 1997, 2023
Tennessee: 1998
Ohio State: 2002, 2014, 2024
LSU: 2003, 2007, 2019
Texas: 2005
Auburn: 2010
Total Number of National Championships since 1975
- Alabama 9
- Miami 5
- Nebraska 3
Oklahoma 3
USC 3
Florida 3
Florida State 3
Clemson 3
LSU 3
Georgia 3
Ohio State 3
- Penn state 2
Notre Dame 2
Michigan 2
- Pitt 1
BYU 1
Colorado 1
Georgia Tech 1
Washington 1
Tennessee 1
Texas 1
Auburn 1