CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Three-straight Playoff appearances are not enough to keep Clemson in the same tier with Alabama, says one ESPN writer.
Three-straight Playoff appearances are not enough to keep Clemson in the same tier with Alabama, says one ESPN writer.

ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'


by - Staff Writer -

One game can shift a narrative, as evidenced by the 2018 Sugar Bowl.

Going into the third installment of Clemson and Alabama in the Playoff, the Tigers and Crimson Tide were in a dead-heat when it comes to recent accomplishments.

In a five-year span, Alabama owned 62 wins, and Clemson, 61. Clemson and Alabama each had one national title and two championship game appearances. Dabo Swinney’s group had even notched a division and conference title this season that the Crimson Tide fell short on in SEC play.

Longtime ESPN college football writer Ivan Maisel says the Crimson Tide’s 24-6 win in New Orleans marked a change in thinking for him.

“My perspective on Clemson has totally shifted in the last week from: ‘Look at what Dabo’s done - they’re here to stay,’” Maisel said on an ESPN podcast this week. “To seeing how they were dominated by Alabama last week, I stepped back and thought, you know what? They won one national championship because they had an incredible quarterback, but without that incredible quarterback, they were not at the same level as Alabama. Is this is a deal where it’s Jameis Winston and Florida State where they dropped off after he left?”

Over two seasons, Winston and FSU won a national title in 2013 and made the CFP semifinals in 2014, before going 27-12 over the last three years, with coach Jimbo Fisher bolting for Texas A&M this offseason.

How Maisel and a ESPN podcast panel got to this discussion was whether Georgia and Clemson belonged in the same conversation as Alabama in terms of perennial national-title contenders.

“I think Georgia is here to stay. Much like Clemson,” ESPN’s Chris Low said. “Remember when Clemson got in on the doorstep and lost that tough game to Alabama and everybody said, ‘Is Clemson just a team that sorta got there and now it’s going to be hard for them to sustain it?’

“I think Georgia’s exactly the same way as Clemson was. I think they’re going to be in the mix more times than not over the next five years.”

“I agree with about Georgia,” Maisel said, “but I don’t think the Clemson argument holds as much water as we thought it did 10 days ago.”

ESPN’s Jake Trotter says Alabama is in a category by itself.

“It’s hard to say they’re (Clemson) going to drop off,” Trotter said, “but in that context, dropping off means you’re not Alabama. Who is? Clemson is still in the second tier. Alabama is in a tier of its own. This idea that Clemson was all of a sudden going to challenge Alabama for college football supremacy is clearly out the window now.”

The 2017 national title was a fifth in the last nine seasons for Nick Saban at Alabama.

With a few weeks to National Signing Day, Alabama and Clemson sit in fifth (3.83) and sixth (3.8) respectively in Rivals.com star average for the 2018 class. The Crimson Tide class is heavy on four-star prospects (13 of 18 commits/signees on Rivals), while Clemson has three of the top-5 prospects in the nation (ESPN) and the top-rated player from four different states signed.

Clemson joined FSU in the record books as the second ACC team to finish in the top-four in the polls over three-straight seasons. The Tigers and Crimson Tide are the only schools to finish in the top 25 over each of the last seven years.

Clemson carried an ACC-record streak of 11 consecutive wins over top 25 teams into the Sugar Bowl.

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Subject (Replies: 82) Author
spacer TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
TigerNet News®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
A912
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
ColumbiaTiger4Life
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
SethSlyy
spacer We we’re in it until we couldn’t score 7 after the fumble ..
apextiger
spacer Re: We we’re in it until we couldn’t score 7 after the fumble ..
SageMoody
spacer One play changed it!!
ssprabhu85
spacer Re: One play changed it!!
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
dixiedon
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'***
RenegadeTiger®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
ClemsonAlex
spacer Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
josephg®
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
TigerSaul
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
ddclemson
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
deleted
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
FORESTTIGER
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in your post
whatweeatin
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
ddclemson
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
CU_Kobe_24
spacer actually there is something inaccurate in the article...
Knuck®
spacer Re: actually there is something inaccurate in the article...
ddclemson
spacer UGA has done nothing to prove they can sustain success on
TigerDominance
spacer but recruit***
hphallman®
spacer Re: Nothing inaccurate in that article.***
Rswanson
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
Moosehead
spacer Saban does***
jfmahon
spacer And when there is none, he makes it up.***
tiger_swimmer®
spacer yeah he's the king of it
a7xgates®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
CU_Kobe_24
spacer and they totally underachieved in the second half of
Knuck®
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Ucel74
spacer Re: Take a picture this moment in time
CUNo1Fan
spacer Re: Take a picture this moment in time
jbwhiteside84
spacer The thing is...
GSCtiger®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
tigerbito
spacer Well good!
tigersincepell®
spacer Re: Well good!
treetiger
spacer you do realize that the 2016 game was the worst that our
Knuck®
spacer All just meaningless talk.***
cotton scout tiger
spacer Uninformed
TigerNick76®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
CUtimes2
spacer Remind me again...What state did Ivan grow up in?
CM Shack®
spacer YES, Tigers are not Bama now sadly..& NO, Tigers are not going away!
lightbulbbill®
spacer Re: YES, Tigers are not Bama now or ever thank God!***
Zoe09
spacer 'Underdog?"
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer Thankfully it's decided on the field and not in the ESPN
o2bnclemson
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
tigrecalvo®
spacer Ivan Maisel, the guy who claimed the HUNH was figured out back in 2001..
tigerking79
spacer Alabama was a "has been" when they lost by 12 to Auburn!
Country Gentleman
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
gatigerbc
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
Tigerzouave
spacer Lol so one game changes everything in their eyes?
solidorangetigerfan14
spacer Complete gibberish. Didn't make it past 1st quote.***
ColaTownTiger
spacer Yea! More non-story click bait presented as actual content!
ninetytwotiger®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Give 'em he1l, Henry!***
hartins®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
orangecoloredglasses®
spacer Ivan Maisel is from Mobile, AL
Dr. Nikola Tesla
spacer Good, just another chip on Tiger's shoulder for next year!***
tigeron®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
TX Tiger®
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WhstigeR®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
BKendall36
spacer I wonder if these guys really
Clemson_country89®
spacer I agree ... Bama had a hard time scoring points even with
apextiger
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
nocoothere
spacer He'll get to rethink his rethink next year.***
BengalBilly
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
HumbleServant®
spacer Does this mean...
CURev28®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
orangecoloredglasses®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
ZeeGantt®
spacer ESPN is happier than a Pig in Mud***
clemchem®
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
msteelyr
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
Eagle03®
spacer As a college football expert, the most intelligent thing you
Tim317
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
Tigerdug23®
spacer ESPN - No Free Passes...
jfman960
spacer Re: TNET: ESPN writer: Clemson challenging Alabama atop CFB 'out the window now'
kfast600
spacer It is super rough when
SageMoody
spacer Re: It is super rough when
K_arena1
spacer Re: It is super rough when
K_arena1
spacer Was our loss to AL any worse than their lose to AU
CU''90
spacer Not as far out the door as these guys knowing sports***
Lakedude®