CFB analyst: Count on Clemson Playoff rematch in 2018 |
Safe, smart - whatever you want to call it, get used to Clemson and Alabama being predicted to make the College Football Playoff and meet...in 2018 and beyond.
USA TODAY college football columnist Dan Wolken is in that camp for 2018, but he does have a track record with the Tigers. Long before Clemson’s rise and Florida State’s fall in 2017, Wolken called Dabo Swinney’s Tigers to come out on top in the ACC for a rematch with the Crimson Tide in the Playoff (albeit a game early in last season's version): Was asked for playoff picks this morning and came up with a shocking result: Clemson v Alabama for a third straight year. It's odd some people think Clemson is going to have a big drop off given their recruiting, six straight 10+W seasons and DL strength Every year is different. If Clemson wins ACC they'll prob be in playoff. I like their chances vs FSU and a shaky OL https://t.co/8dIwiMsPCC This time around, Wolken is predicting a re-do of the 2016 CFP matchups with Clemson, Alabama, Washington and Ohio State making up the field. “The offense got exposed a bit by Alabama in the Playoff,” Wolken writes of Clemson, “but there’s certainly a possibility stud recruit Trevor Lawrence will surpass Kelly Bryant at quarterback. If Lawrence performs as advertised — he’s basically the highest-rated quarterback recruit ever out of the state of Georgia — that could change everything, quickly. "Either way, Clemson’s schedule is extremely favorable, and I’d say the odds are better than 50/50 that the Tigers are 12-0 going into the ACC championship game.” Wolken added that Alabama "actually might have a few more roster questions than Clemson..." The Crimson Tide have made each installment of the College Football Playoff, going back to the 2014 season. Clemson is set to seek a fourth-straight CFP bid, ranking second in Playoff appearances currently (3). The Tigers and Tide have played in all three Clemson CFP appearances, with the Tigers clinching the program's second national title in the 2016 season and Alabama taking the crown for 2015 and 2017. USA TODAY projected Clemson as the No. 1 team in its "early" rankings before the D-line trio of Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins announced their respective comebacks. Editor's note: An earlier version of this update should have had Clemson as the sole team in second in CFP appearances.
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