The starters are elite. The coaching is unquestioned. The path to the College Football Playoff seems clear.
On3 national analyst Josh Pate agrees that Clemson has all the makings of a national title contender. But he also sees one potential fatal flaw that could derail the entire season: a lack of championship-caliber depth.
"I think the thing that would bite them is injury, because I don’t trust their depth to be championship caliber," Pate said on his podcast this week. "Texas has got different depth than Clemson does. Alabama has different depth than Clemson does."
All the Makings of a Contender
Pate's critique comes with a mountain of praise for the Tigers' starting unit and coaching staff. He firmly believes they belong in the title conversation, citing their stability and offseason improvements as major strengths.
"I think they are [a title contender]," Pate stated. "They’ve got a ton of proven returning experience. I think they addressed some of the neck-up issues defensively... with the addition of Tom Allen. No question at quarterback, no question at head coach, no question at offensive coordinator."
He believes a healthy Clemson team will be a nightmare for any opponent they face.
"If they’re healthy... they’re going to be a really tough out," he said.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, Pate's argument boils down to a simple, yet crucial, question: can the next man up play at a championship level?
While he's confident in Clemson's front-line talent, he believes an injury to a key player could expose a drop-off that separates them from the deepest rosters in the country.
"I think Clemson is in title-contention conversation, but if they’re not, it’ll probably be because injury bit them," Pate concluded.
For a team with sky-high expectations, the mission is clear: prove that their talent doesn't just run 22 deep, but has the quality throughout the roster to withstand the brutal grind of a championship season.