He has built the best program in college football, but the flimsy state of his league means any wobble can be calamitous. Georgia had Florida and Auburn left after South Carolina. Had Clemson lost at North Carolina on Sept. 28 _ the Tigers stopped a two-point conversion and won 21-20 _ there'd have been nowhere to turn for redemption. Clemson will face Virginia, ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Poll but unranked by the CFP last week, for the ACC title in Charlotte. The Tigers are favored by four touchdowns.
Clemson might well win its third national championship in four years. That said, there's no way for anybody _ not you, not me, not Dabo _ for anyone to know how good these Tigers are off this season's body of work. They've destroyed every opponent save one, but they really haven't played anybody. Notre Dame, a full-blooded ACC member in every other sport, worked five games against ACC opposition this year; it went 5-0. Only the Virginia Tech game was close.
Truth to tell, the latest indicator of the committee's slight SEC bias had nothing to do with Georgia. It had to do with Dabo's alma mater. Alabama lost to the one good team it played _ LSU _ but was, as of last week, No. 5 in the rankings, two spots back of Clemson. The matter resolved itself: Bama lost 48-45 at Auburn and is, playoff-wise, done. Still, an Alabama team that had lost Tua Tagovailoa and was without a victory over a ranked opponent entered the regular season's final week one notch from the top four. That shouldn't have happened.
I understand Dabo's point _ he's a coach, and coaches lobby for their teams this time of year _ which isn't to say I endorse it. It's not Clemson's fault the ACC has become a one-team league. It's not Georgia's fault, either.
