College football: 25 biggest what-ifs of the 2010s

College football: 2010s biggest what-ifs: 17.  Alabama and Clemson don’t exist

Over the past few years, only three things have been guaranteed to occur: death, taxes and either Alabama or Clemson playing for a chance to win the college football National Championship.

For six consecutive years, Alabama or Clemson has made it to the final game of the season. Also, for five of those six years, one of those programs has won it all. At this point, it seems inevitable. Amongst their many victims have been the likes of Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State, programs that are considered powerhouses but haven’t won as much as they would like due to both Alabama and Clemson.

Leading the charge have been head coaches, Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney. But what would happen in our world of what-ifs if neither program existed? Would Ohio State crawl to the top of the college football mountain and reign supreme? Or does the National Championship turn into somewhat of a hot potato with several big-time schools renting its services for the given year.

Regardless of who would step to the forefront in the absence of both Alabama and Clemson, it’s safe to say that the top of the college football mountain would look like a jumbled mess.