It could be over.
Josh Pate Names College Football Powerhouse With Opportunity to End Title Drought originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2024 college football season was a year of resurgence for several prominent programs. For some, that resulted in their return to the College Football Playoff, while others made their first appearance.
The Clemson Tigers made their first appearance since the 2020 season, following a 2023 campaign that saw them finish 9-4, their worst year since 2010. In 2024, the team improved to a record of 10-4 and won the ACC Championship Game, clinching a 34-31 victory over the SMU Mustangs with a last-second field goal.
This led to Clemson receiving an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff; however, the Tigers lost 38-24 to the Texas Longhorns in the first round. During an episode of "Josh Pate's College Football Show," the college football analyst expressed that he believes Clemson has a chance to win its first national championship since 2018.
"Dabo is as rock solid as it gets in terms of job security," Pate said. "This team's on the clock, kind of like Penn State. This Clemson team is on the clock because they've got an opportunity to do something they haven't done in a few years. It feels like forever ago."
Pate said he believes Clemson should be a favorite to win the national championship. He said he's not ready to make that prediction yet, but he could see himself picking them to win it all. He doesn't believe it's a national title or bust, but he does believe the Tigers need to put themselves in position to win a title.
He thinks a 9-3 season would be acceptable for head coach Dabo Swinney's job security, but it would waste this team's prime opportunity to win their first national championship since 2018.
Clemson fans should feel hopeful about the upcoming season. The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the nation for returning production, as over 80% of their overall production is returning this year.
A key player returning to the team is quarterback Cade Klubnik, who had an impressive season last year. He passed for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions during his second year as the starter.
Clemson is set to return several other key players this season, like defensive tackle Peter Woods, EDGE T.J. Parker, linebacker Sammy Brown and cornerback Avieon Terrell. All of these athletes, along with Klubnik, are ranked among the College Football Network's top 100 returning players in college football.
Pate also noted that Clemson has enhanced its coaching staff by hiring Tom Allen, the former defensive coordinator of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Under his leadership, Penn State's defense achieved remarkable rankings: No. 7 in total defense, No. 31 in pass defense, No. 9 in rush defense and No. 8 in scoring defense.
Last season, Clemson ranked No. 69 in total defense, No. 54 in pass defense, No. 85 in rush defense and No. 42 in scoring defense. The team is hopeful that Allen's presence will significantly enhance their performance this season.
The Tigers will kick off the season with a crucial matchup against the LSU Tigers at home on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
