After dismantling the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday evening, there is no doubt that the Clemson Tigers are peerless in the ACC in 2018.
Heading into the 2018 NCAA season, the Clemson Tigers were on the short list of teams that could realistically win the College Football Playoff. Clemson has made the last three Playoffs as the winner of the ACC. This includes winning it all over the Alabama Crimson Tide at the end of the 2016 NCAA season.
Though the No. 3 team in the nation and one of the few teams still undefeated in the Power 5, Clemson has been far from perfect this year. True freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence eventually won out over the incumbent Kelly Bryant, who may very well transfer to the Arkansas Razorbacks to be reunited with former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris over in Fayetteville.
Clemson does have an elite head coach in Dabo Swinney and an outstanding defensive line with the likes of Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins starring on it. However, Clemson has almost lost twice already this year: on the road to the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station and at home to the Syracuse Orange when Lawrence succumbed to injury.
Overall, Clemson may not be living up to ridiculous standards heading into this season. That being said, one thing is certain: the Tigers are peerless in the ACC heading into basically the final third of the regular season. The only thing that will prevent them from getting back into the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row is themselves.
Now why is this? Well, Clemson just obliterated their biggest threat in the Atlantic Division in the form of the No. 16 North Carolina State Wolfpack. North Carolina State was undefeated entering play on Saturday, but frankly, hadn’t played anybody good. Keep in mind that their game with the West Virginia Mountaineers was canceled due to a hurricane in the Carolinas.
By wiping the floor with the Wolfpack to the tune 41-7, who honestly is going to challenge Clemson in the ACC this year? With North Carolina State falling in Death Valley on Saturday evening, only Clemson is undefeated on the season. The only other team in the ACC that hasn’t dropped a conference game is the Virginia Tech Hokies. However, Virginia Tech has lost twice already, including an embarrassing one to the Old Dominion Monarchs.
Clemson should be an overwhelming favorite in their final five regular season games: at the Florida State Seminoles, home versus the Louisville Cardinals, at the Boston College Eagles, home versus the Duke Blue Devils and home versus the arch rival South Carolina Gamecocks.
Clemson should get to the ACC Championship game unscathed, and would presumably be the favorite over teams like Duke, Virginia Tech, the Miami Hurricanes and the Virginia Cavaliers. The ACC Coastal division is wide open. But not the Atlantic. That belongs to Clemson and it would take an absolute collapse for the Tigers to not play for another conference title bout in Charlotte.