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The 2018 Clemson football team routed Alabama in that season’s College Football Playoff National Championship, cementing its place in sports history.
The undefeated season, punctuated by a 44-16 rout of Alabama in the title game, pushed the Tigers into the all-important debate. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer argued that another team was superior to Clemson that year and pointed to Nick Bosa’s injury in 2018 as the main reason the Buckeyes fell short of a title.
“Nick Bosa is one of the best football players I’ve ever been around. I’d put Percy Harvin No. 1… maybe Nick Bosa No. 2. If Nick Bosa plays for Ohio State (in) 2018, I think Ohio State wins it all. That’s how good of a player he was,” Meyer said during a recent edition of “The Triple Option,” which he previously co-hosted with Mark II with Rob and Alabama.
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Urban Meyer stands on the sideline before the 2025 Peach Bowl semifinal game between the Oregon Ducks and Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 9, 2026. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
Meyer acknowledged the logic behind drafting Nick Bosa for the NFL Draft, but admitted the pick still faltered as the Buckeyes chased a title.
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“He got hurt (in) Game 3. When he was close to maybe being able to come back, they decided to make him ready for the NFL Draft … which broke my heart. But I understand.”
Ohio State went 13-1 in 2018, with the only loss coming in Big Ten play against Purdue. The Buckeyes were left out of the playoffs, but bounced back with a Rose Bowl win over Washington in January 2019. Three months later, the San Francisco 49ers took Bosa No. 2 overall.
Clemson and Alabama built a pseudo-title game rivalry in the mid-2010s. After dominating Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl semifinals, the Tigers beat Alabama for the championship and redeemed themselves in a 45-40 loss to the Crimson Tide to end the 2015 season.
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa sacks TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson during the Advocare Showdown at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on September 15, 2018. (Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire)
Meyer also highlighted the depth of Ohio State’s 2018 defensive line, noting the presence of both Bosa and Chase Young.
“We had Chase Young and Nick Bosa (at defensive) end,” Meyer continued. “Our defense really struggled that year because Chase Young was hurt most of the year and then Nick Bosa played three games and that was it. The offense was one of the top two (or) three offenses in the country.”
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young looks on during the 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl college football semifinal game against the Clemson Tigers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on December 28, 2019. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)
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Meyer concluded by declaring that year’s Ohio State team “was a national title team.” Meyer won three national championships as a coach, winning twice at Florida and once at Ohio State.
