BCS Rankings 2011: Mapping out the Clemson Tigers' Path to the National Title

Clemson is a lot more than the little engine that could. In fact, they are a legitimate National Championship contender.

The Tigers have thrust themselves into the BCS rankings with three wins over currently ranked opponents (Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech).

Tajh Boyd and the offense have played at an elite level all season, averaging 40 points and 300 yards passing per game.

The road ahead is not easy, but Clemson has the talent to win on the biggest stage.

Here are the keys to winning their remaining games, and what else must happen for them to reach the BCS National Championship game.

October 29th at Georgia Tech

The Tigers won this matchup last year 27-13.

This year they enter the contest undefeated, while the Yellow Jackets are reeling after back to back losses to Virginia and Miami, respectively.

Paul Johnson and the triple option offense are always tough to game-plan for, but recently they have become turnover prone.

They committed three turnovers against Miami and two against Virginia.

Clemson's offense is too potent for Georgia Tech to give them extra possessions.

Add in the fact that the Yellow Jackets are 47th in the country in points against and they will have plenty of defensive issues to worry about once the lights are turned on at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

What Clemson Needs: Consistency from Andre Ellington

Having Tajh Boyd is a great asset to this Tigers team because he plays at a consistently high level.

So far this season, Andre Ellington has not.

It is hard for a coach to stay committed to a ground game when he does not know if the team's best running back is going to show up.

When Ellington is good he is great.

Against Maryland, he had 24 carries for 212 yards and two scores.

But when he is bad, he is awful.

Against Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina he averaged 3.3 yards per carry or fewer.

For Clemson to compete against national powerhouses, they will need a balanced offensive attack.

November 12th Against Wake Forest

Before Clemson can worry about the National Championship they must win their own division. That makes this game against Wake Forest a must win.

The Demon Deacons are 5-2 and second to the Tigers in the ACC Atlantic Division. They have two tough tests against North Carolina and Miami before they go to Clemson.

If Clemson is to beat Wake Forest, they will have to rely heavily on Tajh Boyd.

Boyd has been up to the task so far this season and the Demon Deacons' secondary should provide a good challenge for him.

What Clemson Needs: Teams Ahead of Them Must Lose

The ACC is not the best conference in the country and Clemson's current fifth place BCS ranking for the moment appears justified.

So in order for the Tigers to make the National Championship, a team above them must fall.

Obviously either Alabama or LSU will drop below Clemson later in the season because those two schools play each other.

But Oklahoma State and Boise State are both comfortably ahead of Clemson in the polls right now as well.

The Broncos will likely go without a loss yet again, but pollsters have been reluctant to put them atop the standings in years past.

If Clemson remains unbeaten, then it will likely need the Cowboys of Oklahoma State to lose at some point in the coming weeks.

Their final game of the season showdown with rival Oklahoma is likely the best chance for that to happen.

November 19th at North Carolina State

North Carolina State is not a very good football team.

Their only win of any substance this season came last week against Virginia when they won 28-14.

Clemson will look to exploit their porous defense both through the air and on the ground.

The only real worry here is if the Tigers come into this game with a sense of complacency.

Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon is no slouch, and Clemson will have to showcase a strong defensive front to pressure him and secure a victory.

What Clemson Needs: Tajh Boyd Must Continue to Play at an Elite Level

Here is a bold statement.

The quarterback needs to be good for the team to win. Its football 101.

Luckily for the Tigers, Tajh Boyd is currently acing the course.

He is yet to play a bad game this season.

Boyd has had zero games with more than one interception and just one game with less than two touchdowns (that includes passing and rushing.)

His play is largely to thank for Clemson's current unbeaten status. So naturally it must continue, if the Tigers are going to win it all.

November 26th at South Carolina

The Tigers toughest remaining test comes in their final regular season game, against the rival South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Gamecocks have gotten the better of Clemson in recent years, but this game looks to have much more importance for the Tigers.

South Carolina will of already learned their divisional fate and have no national title aspirations.

Clemson meanwhile, will likely be playing to remain unbeaten and alive in the National Championship picture.

The Tigers must attack young quarterback Connor Shaw to win this game.

It is a shame for the parity of this matchup that Marcus Lattimore is out for the season, because this Gamecock team is much less intimidating without him.

Alshon Jeffrey is still one of the best wide-outs in all of college football, but shutting down Shaw essentially removes Jeffrey from the equation.

What Clemson Needs: Stanford and Kansas State to Lose

Stanford and Kansas State are both behind Clemson in the polls.

So it is not entirely essential that one of them lose, but if either of these teams win out it is possible they could jump the Tigers.

Kansas State has to run the gauntlet of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas.

Is it likely they win all these games? Obviously not.

If they somehow do remain unscathed then perhaps they do belong in the title game over a theoretically unbeaten Clemson team.

Stanford meanwhile still has meaningful games against USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame.

It will be tougher for them to pass Clemson if both teams remain unbeaten, but never count out the Andrew Luck factor.

It is clearly beneficial to Clemson for both of these teams to lose sometime soon.

Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game on December 3rd

The ACC title game is a must win for Clemson, just as much as every game on their schedule.

This game will be nationally televised and will give voters one more look at the Tigers before the final rankings come out.

If Clemson does make it to Charlotte, then they will likely have a rematch with the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Clemson won their meeting earlier in the season by a score of 23-3 in Blacksburg.

A neutral site such as Bank of America Stadium should provide for a much more welcoming environment this time around.

In that matchup, the Tigers defense limited the Hokies to just 258 yards of offense and no touchdowns at home for the first time since 1995.

They will need a similarly great defensive performance to win a potential rematch and claim the ACC Championship.