Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have truly dominated the ACC at an unprecedented level.
Clemson has won seven of the last eight conference championships by an average of 25.7 points per contest and only has six losses to its 60 wins within the conference in that span. They have been the torch-bearer in the College Football Playoff and represent six of the ACC's seven appearances.
The Tigers are clearly the king of this jungle, and have been for some time.
How much longer can this be sustained? Is there anyone that could potentially usurp them? Chris Low joined College Football Gametime to discuss Dabo's dominance, but also who could challenge him now that they seem to be at their most vulnerable state.
"I think Clemson is still the best team," Low explained to Chris and Randy. "They recruit the best and it tells me a lot about that program and what Dabo [Swinney] has built there that they win eleven games this year, won the ACC, and if you go talk the most Clemson fans, they’re sort of disappointed. They are disappointed that they're not in the playoffs and that they lost to South Carolina, but he's still such a monster there."
Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football, so it's no surprise that Clemson has dominated this realm, too. In fact, 2022 marked the fifth consecutive season that they reeled in the best class in the ACC.
Like many of the annual contenders, Clemson has separated themselves with its talent. Until the rest of the conference can start to match that, it's hard to believe that the gap will shrink any time soon.
"It's almost to the point where if Clemson doesn’t get into the playoff, it's not a great season and I think that's the monster that Dabo has built, and I don't think he’d want to have it any other way. But until someone surpasses [Clemson], and someone starts beating them on a regular basis or out-recruits them -- they still recruit better than anybody in the ACC -- then they're my pick."
So who could challenge Clemson on the recruiting trail, and subsequently on the football field? Chris Low mentioned two teams in particular that could take up the mantle.
"I think for the ACC to really get to a point to where they can challenge the SEC and the Big 10, you've got to have [Miami] and Florida State back to where those schools were in the early 90s and all up into the 90s," Low explained. "[Miami] also under Mario [Cristobal] is really recruiting this class well. I love his staff. You’ve got veterans like Kevin Steele and Charlie Strong on that staff, and I think they will recruit at a high level. It will probably take a little bit longer than anybody there thought, [they will need] at least one more class, maybe two more classes before they get to that point -- especially on the offensive side of football -- where they could be a legitimate threat there in the ACC."
While Miami struggled mightily under first-year head coach Mario Cristobal, he has assembled a staff to contend with the elites in college football. If he's given the proper time and resources, don't be surprised if "The U" returns to its former glory.
On the other hand, Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles finally seemed to be taking the next steps as a program. Despite a difficult stretch in October that saw them lose three consecutive games by an average of six points, they still finished 9-3 with statement wins over Florida, Miami, and LSU. If they can build on the success of the 2022 season, then this is certainly a program to watch going forward.
Both Miami and Florida State have a lot of ground to make up if they want to contend with Clemson in the coming years but have every advantage that they could possibly need. They have the history and tradition that will attract talent, while simultaneously residing in one of the biggest recruiting hotbeds in the country. We've seen it happen before, so don't be surprised if it happens again.
Until we reach that point, follow Chris Low's advice, and don't bet against the Clemson Tigers.