College Football Playoff team No. 4: Clemson Tigers, 2017
National Champions — Def. Alabama, 35-31
Looking back at 2015-17 and the Alabama-Clemson rivalry that blossomed in that time is a ton of fun because not only did the two sides deliver some epic battles for the National Championship but it was a case of redemption for the Tigers. And the team that Deshaun Watson led to some form of vindication in the 2017 title game comes in at No. 4 in these rankings not just because they bounced back but because of how darn good they were.
Watson would not be denied in the biggest moment, even if the defense had its moments where they could’ve been better. The quarterback accrued close to 500 yards of offense on the game and scored the game-winning touchdown with a pass to Jordan Leggett in the final moments of the game. When you’re talking about an all-time quarterback with the type of talent he had around him, there’s no denying how good this team was.
College Football Playoff team No. 3: Alabama Crimson Tide, 2021
Play Notre Dame in Semifinal (Rose Bowl)
Once the 2021 College Football Playoff transpires, even having the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 3 might be putting them too low. Because of the idiosyncratic nature of this season, it feels like everything that has happened — in addition to seeing LSU dominate a year ago — has overshadowed just how good this team is.
The fact that the Alabama offense is comprised of three top-five Heisman vote-getters (Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris) is simply absurd but totally warranted. The Crimson Tide has been unstoppable when they’ve had the ball. But what gets overshadowed is how good the defense is.
Yes, they gave up a ton of points to Ole Miss and Florida but so has every other team. Overall, Alabama has been a top-10 defense with the best offense in the country aiding them. So when you look at the totality of the situation, the expectation should be for Bama to go down as historically one of the best teams ever.