Few college football players in recent years have accomplished more than Deshaun Watson did at Clemson. The star quarterback led the Tigers to back-to-back national championship game appearances, walking off a winner after upsetting Alabama to win it all in January of 2017.
Now Watson stars for the Houston Texans who selected him twelfth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, 10 picks after the Chicago Bears selected Mitch Trubisky.
In three NFL seasons Watson has turned into a star, earning two Pro Bowl bids while throwing 71 touchdowns and having a career quarterback rating of 101.0.
Watson was asked on Twitter by former Clemson star Tajh Boyd if Notre Dame was a national championship contender in 2020. Fighting Irish fans probably won’t be thrilled with his answer.
HELL NO! https://t.co/AnUfr6Mkhn
— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) June 10, 2020
It’s clearly not what you want to read but is he wrong?
I truly believe Notre Dame football is very much a College Football Playoff contender in 2020. They have questions at various position groups and hardly an easy schedule but 11-1 and a shot at the CFP is plenty possible.
But is a national title realistic?
Notre Dame has gotten to the biggest of stages in the last decade but things have gone horribly once they got there. The 2012 season’s finish with a blowout loss to Alabama in the title game and a 30-3 defeat against Clemson after going 12-0 in the 2018 regular season.
I’d love to be wrong but I have trouble thinking that leap will taken this season.
If nothing else though, I certainly wouldn’t mind Notre Dame shocking the world and Watson’s Twitter mentions being blown up by Irish fans on November 7.