While the college football world debates the top contenders, former ESPN analyst David Pollack's belief has been unwavering all offseason, and he's not backing down now.
"I’ve been all in on them all offseason... I’m just sticking with it, man. I’m staying all in," Pollack declared on his See Ball Get Ball show this week, before making his official prediction: "Give me the Clemson Tigers to win the national championship this football season.”
A Return to the Championship Formula
For Pollack, this isn't just a hunch. He sees a team that mirrors the DNA of Dabo Swinney's two previous national championship squads from 2016 and 2018.
"The way Clemson won national championships? Elite quarterback play. Elite receiver play. Check, check, check, check, check. Because the receiver room is loaded," Pollack explained.
He continued down the championship checklist, noting the pieces are all there for another dominant run.
"When you look at defensive line, they did it with a bunch of first-rounders... Check, check. Two first-round defensive linemen," Pollack said. "They had secondaries, they had good ones... First-round type guys. Check. Good schedule? Check."
Pollack also pointed to Swinney's evolution as a key factor, crediting the coach for adapting to the modern era. "Changed his ways a little bit and decided to go in the transfer portal. Still doing it the Clemson way," he noted.
After narrowing down the list of teams he believes can actually win the title to just three—Texas, Penn State, and Clemson—Pollack made his definitive choice.
"I think Clemson is just going to have a special year," he concluded. "They’ve got some really, really good football players that are going to be a handful for a lot of people."