College Football Playoff team profiles: No. 2 Clemson

(Profile on No. 1 Alabama)

It's no coincidence that the closest program to Saban's Alabama is ranked right behind them at the No. 2 spot. Next up, the Clemson Tigers:

Record: 13-0 (ACC Champions)

Wins over currently ranked opponents:

• 28-26 @ No. 19 Texas A&M
• 27-23 vs. No. 20 Syracuse

Average points per game: 45.4

• Most points scored in a single game: 77 vs. Louisville
• Fewest points scored in a single game: 27 vs. Syracuse, 27 @ Boston College

Average points allowed per game: 13.7 (Second best in country)

• Most points allowed in a single game: 35 vs. South Carolina 
• Fewest points allowed in a single game: 3 @ Wake Forest

Key Players:

Trevor Lawrence, Freshman, QB

All eyes have been on the true freshman out of Cartersville, Georgia ever since he took the Tigers' starting job under center from Kelly Bryant, who had led them to the playoff just last year. (Bryant has since announced that he is transferring to Missouri). And since taking over the title of QB1, he's been good enough to make someone inexplicably do a poorly executed imitation of some Southern accent and say, "that's a damn good quarterback." If that numerical stat doesn't persuade you of Lawrence's ability to perform on the field, he's completed 65% of his 326 passing attempts. He's racked up a total of 24 touchdowns and 2,606 yards through the air, with only four picks

Travis Etienne, Sophomore, RB

Travis Etienne has undoubtedly been Clemson's most exciting player on the offensive side of the operation. The sophomore is hands down one of the best running backs that college football has had to offer this year. He's ran the ball for 1,463 yards (5th most in the country), 21 touchdowns (3rd most), while averaging 8.3 yards per carry (5th best) on 176 carries. Etienne posted three rushing touchdowns in three straight games ('Cuse, Wake, NC State). He tallied triple digit yardage on the ground in seven games this season. One of those was a clutch 203 yard performance in a narrow win against Syracuse, amidst QB troubles with Trevor Lawrence going down with an injury in Clemson's first game without Kelly Bryant. Travis Etienne is a certified stud, and he's been the most impressive part of the Tigers' productive offense.

Tee Higgins, Sophomore, WR

Trevor Lawrence's top target this season has been Tee Higgins, the king of the fine town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In his sophomore campaign, Higgins has caught the ball 52 times for 802 yards, finding the end zone ten times. Throughout the regular season, he went off gaining over 100 yards in three different games: three receptions for 123 yards @ Texas A&M; eight receptions for 119 yards vs NC State; six receptions for 142 yards vs South Carolina. Higgins can be a really exciting receiver to watch as he's proven the ability to make catches that validate the price of admission.

Christian Wilkins, Senior, DT

Clemson's defensive line is like the Monstars from Space Jam, so it's tough to say which one of them has been the most outstanding. But I'd bet the majority of people would make an argument that the highlight of one of college football's most noteworthy units is Christian Wilkins. The Springfield, Massachusetts/Suffield Academy product was named as a First Team All American and the winner of the Campbell Trophy (top scholar athlete). Wilkins has 52 total tackles, 36 of those being solo and 16 assisted. Of those, 13.5 were tackles for loss, five being sacks. Against NC State, he blocked a field goal. The big guy also has two rushing touchdowns, each of them being a one yard plunge over the goal line. After registering six points against South Carolina, Wilkins struck the Heisman pose. Big guy Heisman poses are the apex of big guy touchdowns. Wilkins is most certainly a first round NFL talent.

Clelin Ferrell, Junior, DE

At some point in time, Clemson got very greedy in their recruiting when it came to talented defensive linemen, and that has certainly paid off. Clelin Williams is also a First Team All American. He stands at 6 feet 5 inches, 260 pounds and won the Ted Hendricks Award for the best defensive end in the country. He notched 47 total tackles (24 solo, 23 assisted), with 17 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. On top of that, he recorded 13 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Much like Wilkins, you'll be seeing this guy on Sundays. 

Other notes:

• Trevor Lawrence has looked great at quarterback so far, but is now put to the true test. The main reason that starting him over Kelly Bryant made sense is that Bryant was good enough to make the playoff, not good enough to win a championship. And in a program like Clemson's, that's just not good enough. So Trevor Lawrence has gotten to the playoffs, it's time to see if he is more of a Kelly Bryant, a Deshaun Watson, or somehwere in between.
• Clemson's season has been terrific. There's no arguing that. Undefeated, conference champions. But some people remain a bit skeptical on the Tigers due to the ACC being absolutely putrid. And it's true; the current state of the conference does not even slightly resemble the emerging power it seemed to be a few short years ago. But this Clemson team is talented enough that I wouldn't let a weak conference schedule determine their quality level.
• The Tigers' matchup against Notre Dame will be the fourth ever game between the to programs. The last time they played in 2015, we were gifted a classic that involved hurricane weather and the denial of a game-tying two point conversion. The Tigers have won the last two meetings (2015, 1979) while the Irish one the inaugural battle between the two schools (1977).

via GIPHY