Conference affiliation aside, Dabo Swinney built an SEC-like Clemson team

Alabama is the clear choice over Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and it should be.

The Crimson Tide are the defending champions and appear to be even better this season. The Tigers, on the other hand, probably aren’t as good as they were a year ago. As a result, ‘Bama is about a 6.5-point favorite to repeat.

That being said, this should have nothing to do with the fact that the Tide are from the SEC and Clemson is from the ACC. While SEC sycophants love to belittle the hoops-centric ACC, in reality the two conferences aren’t separated by all that much on the gridiron at this point. The gap has narrowed significantly.

Alabama ran roughshod over the West. Were the Tigers in the East, more than likely they would have done the same to that division.

League affiliation aside, Clemson is essentially an SEC program these days. Dabo Swinney is one of the elite coaches in America. Memorial Stadium — Death Valley East, if you will — is a terrifying venue. Fan passion runs deep, too.

But most of all, Swinney features a depth chart full of SEC-caliber players. Deshaun Watson, maybe the best quarterback in the country, had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee. He chose the Tigers, despite the fact that he went to high school about 40 miles away from Sanford Stadium in Athens.

If Clemson pulls the upset Monday in Tampa, more than likely it’ll be due to the fact that Watson was the premier player on the field.

When Swinney (below) took over as the Tigers’ interim coach in 2008 — Tommy Bowden was fired midseason — he was but 38 years old. Now, with his pigskin success only matched by his Christian faith, he’s being compared to a young Bobby Bowden.

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For a long time, Bowden’s dream job was Alabama since he was born in Birmingham. The Florida State squad he took over in 1976 was nothing like it is today. But by the time he had built up enough of a résumé to be considered for a post like the one in Tuscaloosa, he had already made Tallahassee his permanent home.

Swinney, a Pelham native and former walk-on Crimson Tide receiver, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Nick Saban one day.

However, the 65-year-old Saban has made it crystal clear lately that he doesn’t intend to hang up his whistle any time soon. But when he does, Swinney’s formerly crimson-tinted blood might have turned orange once and for all.

The only item missing from Swinney’s trophy case these days is a national championship. He’s won 10-plus games six seasons in a row. He’s won three ACC titles. He’s won a Peach Bowl, an Orange Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl. He may have even unseated FSU, which joined the conference in 1992, as the head program in the league.

Yes, Watson is a transcendent talent and the primary reason for Swinney taking his team to back-to-back College Football Playoffs.

Still, even though Watson is on his way to the NFL a year early, Clemson is set up for the future at the game’s most important position. Tajh Boyd, who preceded Watson under center for the Tigers, was pretty special, too.

The No. 1 QB recruit in the land for the class of 2017, Hunter Johnson of Brownsburg (Ind.) High School, is currently committed to the Tigers. So is Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville (Ga.) High School, who is the No. 1 prospect — regardless of position — for 2018. Both are five-star studs. Watson, by the way, was only a four-star signee.

The SEC has struggled to put consistent quarterbacking on the field the last year or two. Not so for Clemson.

On the other hand, what the SEC collects better than any conference is difference-making defensive linemen. Mammoth space eaters along the interior and terrorizing pass rushers off the edge are in abundance throughout the league.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

But the Tigers have those, as well. Swinney has seen five of his D-linemen selected in the last two drafts, including first-round picks Vic Beasley (2015) and Shaq Lawson (2016). Carlos Watkins (above) was a first-team All-ACC choice this year, while Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence — a sophomore and freshman, respectively — were second-teamers.

Did you see what Clemson’s D did to Ohio State in the other semifinal? Urban Meyer had never been shut out in his career. He has now.

Obviously, recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. While it took Swinney a while to carve out a niche — his first two classes were ranked 31st and 28th, respectively — he’s finished somewhere between ninth and 17th every year since 2011.

Most important, the overwhelming majority of his signees were also on the radar for so many of the top schools in the SEC. He’s not just landing players from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina that managed to slip through the cracks. Chances are they chose the Tigers over the Gators, Bulldogs or Gamecocks, among others.

Ignore the ACC patches on Clemson’s uniforms. The Tigers will be as SEC-like as any opponent that Alabama has faced this season.

Even without a ring, Swinney is a fixture on the short list of finest coaches in the sport. Pulling the upset at Raymond James Stadium would only add to his legend. The aforementioned Bowden didn’t win it all until his 18th season at FSU.

There’s always a lot of talk this time of year about which is the best conference. The ACC has been strong this bowl season. The SEC has been up and down. The Big Ten disappointed in the postseason after an impressive regular season. And the outcome of this game won’t determine any sort of winner in that argument.

This one is about Alabama and Clemson, nothing else. SEC, ACC — whatever. The Tigers will be the Crimson Tide’s biggest challenge yet.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.