5 Reasons Why the Clemson Tigers Should Be No. 1

5 Factors that Give Clemson a Good Case For the No. 1 Spot in the Nation

Any team in the top five of the top 25 rankings has a case as to why they should be No.1. Each one has different factors that could make them a potential No. 1 team, but they all have the same goal: to make it to and win the National Championship. The Clemson Tigers are one of those teams, as they are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation.

They proved they are for real when they got a win in the opener against the then-ranked No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers seemed to struggle in the two games that followed against the South Carolina State Bulldogs and North Carolina State Wolfpack, but they were still able to get good wins in those games despite their struggles. They came back last week with a dominating conference win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

The Tigers play three more currently top 25-ranked teams this season, including two ACC teams in the Florida State Seminoles and Maryland Terrapins, and the SEC’s South Carolina Gamecocks in their last regular-season game. These games will be true tests for the Tigers as they continue their campaign for No. 1.

Clemson has a good case for the top spot in the rankings, including a Heisman-caliber quarterback in Tajh Boyd. He is not the only factor in the Tigers’ case for No. 1, though he is a large part of it. He has the potential to help the Tigers reach what he calls “greater goals”. Here are the top five reasons why the Tigers should be ranked No. 1.

Jenna Aquino is a Big Ten Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter, "Like" her on Facebook, or add her to your network on Google.

5. They can beat (better yet, dominate) teams they should beat

Even other ACC teams. They didn’t dominate the NC State in Raleigh, but they got a good win. Boyd seemed to be a little off in that game anyway. They dominated fellow ACC team Wake Forest last week 56-7. These are the kind of wins that could put a team higher in the rankings, which is exactly what Clemson wants.

4. They can win despite their less-than-stellar defense

It is considered to be one of the team’s biggest question marks. You never know what to expect, but they can be good when it counts, like in the second quarter of the Georgia game. They sacked Georgia’s quarterback Aaron Murray to end a drive and caused a fumble deep in Georgia territory on the Bulldogs’ next possession. They sacked Murray a total of four times in this game. Boyd helps the defense when they are struggling with his ability to score and put pressure on the other team’s defense.

3. They can win in big games

Clemson started their season off right by beating Georgia the first week of the season when Georgia was ranked No. 5 and Clemson was No. 8. It was an upset that proved Clemson deserved the spot they had in the top 10 and that they could compete with the big boys in the top five. Boyd said this win wasn’t a statement as much as it was a step toward greater goals, which we can figure are being ranked No. 1 and going to the National Championship game. It was their second-straight win against a top 10 SEC opponent after they beat the LSU Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl to end last season. Watch out Alabama Crimson Tide! Alabama is lucky they don’t have Clemson on their schedule… yet.

2. Quarterback Tajh Boyd’s running ability

Boyd had 69 rushing yards and a touchdown last week against Wake Forest. He even had two rushing touchdowns against No. 5 Georgia in the opener. Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said Boyd’s ability to run the football was what made them successful in the Georgia game. Boyd has rushed for 159 yards this season and has had four rushing touchdowns, while running back Roderick McDowell has no rushing touchdowns yet this season.

1. Quarterback Tajh Boyd’s passing ability

Boyd reignited Heisman talk with his performance against Wake Forest by completing 17-of-24 passes, throwing for 311 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He even threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ win over then No. 5 Georgia in Week 1. Boyd already has almost 1,000 passing yards this season and has thrown for nine touchdowns. He has thrown for 100 touchdowns in his career, making him the second ACC quarterback to accomplish this feat. The other is Philip Rivers when he was at NC State.