SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- So the question here is whether No. 1 Clemson rented its slot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T from Airbnb, or will remain among the national elite for years to come.
There's a reason to ask. College football has a soft spot for familiar faces. In the past 17 seasons, dating to the beginning of the BCS, few teams have shown up for a championship game and glided out of sight as quickly as they arrived. In fact, only four teams -- Tennessee in 1998, Virginia Tech in 1999, Nebraska in 2001 and Notre Dame in 2012 -- made a single appearance in a championship game.