There hasn’t been a legitimate debate for several years about the teams in the mix for the No. 2 team in college football as Alabama and Clemson have largely alternated holding on to the top spot.

SEC Network broadcaster Tom Hart weighed in on the debate, and shared why he views as a group of tiers.

“To put it in the container of take Alabama out,” Hart told Cole Cubelic and Greg McElroy on WJOX in Birmingham, Alabama. “I think Alabama is separated from the rest of the top five. There’s a bigger gap between Alabama and Clemson in my mind than there is Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State. So that’s a pretty big gap we’re making up just for the sake of this radio bit. I give them top five check marks at a lot of different spots. Not the least of which is head coach and I don’t know what word you guys would use to describe it, overall program direction, yeah culture, that fits. The continuity they have in the coaching staff, the culture that they’ve developed and kept over the years.”

Alabama and Clemson have split the last four meetings in high-profile settings, and are in line to likely meet again in the College Football Playoff.

“I like D.J. (Uiagalelei) at quarterback, he showed what he can do in flashes last year,” Hart said. “It’s not the same as Alabama, but I think Clemson as a program when they have turnover, they can reload better. They’ve got Justyn Ross coming back at the receiver position, new O-line at three spots, but I don’t know, man, it’s just Clemson.”