3 flaws that could keep Clemson from the National Championship

1. Conference and Scheduling

Year after year, the same argument against Clemson remains, and 2020 will be no different. Clemson’s schedule is typically one of the nation’s easiest, compounded by the weakness of the ACC and the lack of non-conference challenges. Clemson does deserve credit for adding Notre Dame to the slate this year, but The Citadel? That should not be an opponent for a Top 25 team.

This becomes a bigger problem when the ACC has minuscule competition alongside Clemson. Virginia has made strides forward, but even they are a borderline ranked opponent, while Florida State, a former Playoff competitor, has slowly collapsed over the years. Compare that to the weekly challenge presented by the SEC with the likes of Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Florida. Not to mention many of the conference’s weaker teams bound to improve, such as Tennessee with one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. The Big Ten has seen some growth, while even the Big XII and Pac-12 present far greater parity than the ACC.

A weaker conference should be satisfied by tough non-conference opponents, but Clemson has continually shied away from scheduling competition. It hasn’t bit them in the past, but with one loss a likelihood this season, it may be their biggest flaw in 2020.