Clemson Tigers Are Dark-Horse Contenders to Make the College Football Playoff
The Clemson Tigers seem to be floating around the national championship race every season but are always left on the outside looking in. Still, Clemson has been one of the most consistent programs in the country over the past few years and should be a team to look out for in the 2015 College Football Playoff race.
The Tigers have won 10 or more games in each of the last four seasons. Those 10-win seasons have ultimately amounted to an Orange Bowl victory in 2012 and an ACC Championship in 2011. But this season, Clemson should have its sights set on college football's biggest prize.
Clemson is loaded with talent this season, especially on offense, and any talk of that talent starts with sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson took over for Cole Stoudt as the starter midway through the 2014 season. When he was on the field, Watson was spectacular. In eight games last season, he threw for 1,466 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Watson also rushed for another five scores.
The problem was he had a tough time staying on the field.
Watson dealt with a couple of nagging injuries last season. Most notably, a torn ACL kept him out of Clemson's win over Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl. But to the delight of Clemson fans, Watson plans to be back and healthy for the season opener against Wofford, per SI.com's Zac Ellis.
Head coach Dabo Swinney is extremely confident in the ability of his young quarterback, per 247Sports: "My confidence level comes from the young man’s ability, his aptitude, his work ethic, his commitment to being great. He’s above and beyond in all those areas—if the scale is 1 to 10, he’s a 12 in everything."
If he can stay healthy in 2015, Watson is a potential Heisman candidate, and he'll have plenty of weapons around him. The Tigers return top receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott for the upcoming season. Williams and Scott combined for just under 2,000 receiving yards last season.
True freshman Deon Cain was the top receiver in the country out of high school and should also have some influence in the passing game for Clemson. Leading rusher Wayne Gallman will also be back for his sophomore season.
The only real question on offense comes at the line of scrimmage, where the Tigers will have to replace three starters from last season.
The biggest hurdle for Clemson in 2015 will be replacing so many key players from a defensive unit that led the nation in total defense last season.
Top tacklers Stephone Anthony and Robert Smith are out of eligibility, and premier pass-rusher Vic Beasley is now with the Atlanta Falcons. All-ACC performers Grady Jarrett and Garry Peters are also gone.
Junior linebacker Ben Boulware and defensive lineman Shaq Lawson will be asked to step up to fill some of the voids left on the defensive front. Christian Wilkins, a 5-star recruit, should also contribute right away to make up for some of the lost production.
However, the secondary has less rebuilding to do, as it returns starters at cornerback and safety from last season in Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse. Clemson ranked second in the country in pass defense last season, and that should once again be a strength.
Swinney recognizes there might be a drop-off on defense from 2014, but he still believes in the potential of the 2015 group.
“I don’t know that we can lead the nation in 11 categories, but I don’t think we have to,” Swinney told Aaron Brenner of the Charleston Post and Courier. “But I do think we can be one of the best defenses in the country.”
Although Clemson has won 32 games in the past three seasons, the ACC Atlantic has been owned by Florida State since Clemson's conference title in 2011. Clemson has the chance to buck that trend this upcoming year.
Florida State is bringing back 11 starters and lost most of its top playmakers on offense. Jameis Winston and Rashad Greene are both in the NFL, while running back Dalvin Cook is suspended indefinitely, per Yahoo Sports' Sam Cooper.
The Seminoles have enough talent on the roster to reload, but for the first time in a while, they don't seem to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the conference. That bodes well for Clemson's hopes to take back the ACC crown.
The 2015 schedule also falls in Clemson's favor. Heading into the season, the biggest matchups for the Tigers appear to be against the Seminoles, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. Clemson has the luxury of having all three of those games in Death Valley.
The closest thing that Clemson has to a daunting road test is probably its Week 3 game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Obviously, an undefeated team would be in the playoff, but a one-loss ACC champion would also have an excellent chance of being included.
The Clemson Tigers have all the right ingredients of a championship-caliber team in 2015. They have a Heisman-candidate quarterback surrounded by dynamic playmakers, a talented defense led by coordinator Brent Venables and a more than navigable schedule.
This could be the season that the Tigers finally put it all together. If they do, you'll see them playing in a semifinal on New Year's Day.
Recruiting info via 247Sports.com. Stats via cfbstats.com.
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