Is Clemson football now the elite program in College Football?

Was there a change in the guard last night in the National Championship? Is Clemson football now the program to beat in CFB?

The Clemson football team absolutely destroyed and outmatched the Alabama Crimson Tide Monday night in the National Championship.

After a complete season of us being told that Bama was just flat-out better than everyone and how the Tigers didn’t stand a chance, Clemson came away with a huge victory in a game that just wasn’t close.

The Tigers dominated on the lines of scrimmages, had more physical skill position players and Trevor Lawrence absolutely, without a doubt, outplayed Tua Tagovailoa.

So, it brings up an interesting question. Is Clemson football now the ‘program to beat’ in CFB?

I’m not quite ready to say that the program is heads and shoulders better than Alabama. I really respect what Nick Saban has done.

It will be interesting, in my opinion, to see what the Tigers can do in 2019. Clemson loses a ton of key players, especially off of that defensive line, that made key impacts in the game and the season.

I’ll be interested to see just how effective Clemson football can reload. We all know the offense is going to be elite next year. Returning guys like Trevor Lawrence, Justyn Ross, Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne and plenty of others, the Tigers are going to be a force.

It will be intriguing to see how the defense is able to reload.

But, back to the program.

As long as Dabo Swinney continues to keep the continuity of the coaching staff and recruits to the level that he has, the Tigers are certainly peers with Alabama and will be the team to beat for the next few years.

Was there a changing of the guard last night? It’s a bit too early to tell, but it’s clear that the 2018 Clemson football team was the best team in the nation by far.