CFB Most Influential Programs
#26 Clemson Tigers
School: Clemson Tigers
First Game: October 31st, 1896
Winning Percentage: .624 (20th)
Appearances in AP/Rank: 497 (18th)
Average AP Ranking: 11.7
National Titles: 3
Claim to Fame: After an understandably slow start under Dabo, Clemson has been a force for the last decade of college football, winning 2 National Championships. It will be interesting to see if this can continue as the coach seems to scoff at both NIL and the transfer portal.
Why I have them in my Collection: Lil ole Clemson! Prior to winning their first national championship in 1981, Clemson was about as inconsistent as it got as a program. They would oscillate between brilliant seasons and utter pitfalls in performance. If you look at the chart on Winsepedia, it’s quite staggering.
However, you can’t talk about college football without talking about Clemson. They were a part of the Southern Conference for a little over 3 decades before becoming a founding member of the ACC. They’re still members of the conference today, as dubious of a statement as that is.
When it comes to the age of the FBS College Football Playoff, Clemson has always been in the conversation. Whether it be playing in semifinals, the championship or winning, Clemson has always been there. Over this time, they have also put more than a handful of players into the NFL, headlined by DeAndre Hopkins, Trevor Lawrence, and many others.
Clemson also has one of the more unique traditions in a sport that LOVES tradition. Apart from how the team arrives at the stadium right before game time, running down the hill onto the field is one of the cooler traditions that college football has to offer. As I mentioned it remains to be seen how Clemson will fare as the sport evolves and their coach is resistant, but the Tigers are a team and program of the last decade that have been as synonymous with college football as any in this collection.
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