Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said that in 2015, when undefeated Clemson steamrolled into the national championship game against Alabama, he knew as early as spring practice his team was going to have a chance "to be in the hunt."
In 2016 and 2017, he had hunches, too.
After advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals in three of the past four seasons, Swinney has pinpointed several factors helpful in identifying a contender: depth at critical positions, a little bit of luck when it comes to injuries, and being a well-rounded team that can win in multiple ways.