Don’t let the No. 6 ranking fool you—Clemson might just be holding the golden ticket in this year’s national title race.
FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt isn’t mincing words: Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are firmly in the championship conversation, and the days of college football’s exclusive elite are officially over.
“If you were ranked sixth in the preseason poll in 2018, you had no chance,” Klatt said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “This year, the sixth-ranked team—Clemson—has a great chance to win the national championship.”
It’s a statement that reflects not only how far Clemson has come, but how much the sport itself has changed.
According to Klatt, college football’s power structure has expanded, thanks in large part to the emergence of NIL, the transfer portal, and a broader distribution of elite talent.
“The top of the sport was as narrow as it’s ever been 5-6 years ago,” Klatt said. “It was Georgia, Alabama, maybe Clemson—and that was it. But now, we have an expanded version of that.”
While Colin Cowherd argued that recent changes in college football (revenue sharing, NIL, the portal) had shrunk the list of contenders, Klatt pushed back hard, saying the opposite is true—and Clemson is the prime example.
“The Top 9 teams in the Coaches Poll? I think they all have a chance,” he said. “If things go right, they could easily play for or win a national championship.”
That Top 9, as Klatt outlined, includes:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Penn State
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Clemson
7. Oregon
8. Alabama
9. LSU
And if you're wondering why Clemson stands out in that group, just look at their upward trajectory. In 2024, the Tigers started at No. 14 and finished at No. 11—now they begin the 2025 campaign inside the top 6, and with legitimate momentum.
With quarterback Cade Klubnik entering his senior year, a loaded receiver room, a dominant defensive front, and a fresh wave of belief around Swinney’s program, Clemson isn't just back—they’re built for the new era of college football.
And for Joel Klatt, that means they’ve never had a better shot.