ATLANTA -- No. 3 Clemson has won 28 games in a row. The Tigers are the reigning national champions and will enter the 2019 College Football Playoff looking to defend their crown and possibly become the most dominant team in the CFP era. They also have one of the most talented rosters in the country with a starting quarterback who has already won a title.

Yet, Clemson enters the four-team field as the No. 3 team behind two other undefeated conference champions. Will it stay that way? "Little Old Clemson" has emerged as the true college football dynasty under coach Dabo Swinney, and it has what it takes to prove it again with its second straight CFP National Championship win.

Here's why the Tigers should be favorites entering the semifinals.

1. Weapons galore: It's not just quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Sure, it'd be easy to wax poetic about the sophomore's sizzling season (3,172 passing yards and 34 touchdowns), but his supporting cast is worthy of an Oscar. Running back Travis Etienne has 1,500 yards. Wide receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross have teamed up to become one of the most dangerous duos in the country. The Tigers offensive line has given up just 4.54 tackles for loss per game -- 12th in the nation.

Which team on Ohio State's schedule has anywhere close to that kind of talent? Penn State? Nah. Michigan? Nope. What's remarkable is that those two teams are the only reasonable examples. Ohio State's defense has turned things around, and that's a cute little story. But it has done so against teams that pale in comparison to what Swinney is going to trot out on the field. What's more, co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has one foot out of the door after taking the Boston College head coaching job. Tread lightly, Buckeyes.

Moving on to the national championship: Is there anything to suggest that LSU's defense can handle these Tigers? Sure, it's been better lately. But the last time we saw LSU square off with this kind of roster it gave up 41 points and 541 yards in the win over Alabama. As far as Oklahoma, well, it's Oklahoma. So that shouldn't be a problem.

2. Little drop-off on defense: Remember before the season when we all wondered how Clemson would replace the loss of four monsters along the defensive line? Yeah, that was a waste of energy. This year's group is giving up just 3.96 yards per play -- 0.23 less than last year. It hasn't created as many havoc plays in the backfield as last year's crew, which speaks volumes toward just how stout this team has been.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables has installed a more multi-dimensional unit that puts stars like linebacker Isaiah Simmons all over the field in order to keep opposing offensive coordinators guessing. That's a big reason why the Tigers have given up just 20 passing plays of 20 or more yards -- tops in the country.

Will Buckeyes QB Justin Fields be ready? He has been unflappable all season but hasn't seen anything close to what's coming on Saturday. Watching this defense square off against either LSU or Oklahoma would be a matchup for the ages. As is the case with both of those offenses, there's nothing to suggest that Clemson's defense will let up anytime soon.

3. Bulletin board material: Swinney loves to play the disrespect card, and he was gifted a motivational tool on a silver platter when Clemson was placed No. 3 in the final rankings. "It's been easy this year. I really haven't had to do a whole lot. Pretty well stated on that, I think, on the record on all that stuff," Swinney said. "I think, as a coach, you take free fuel any time you can get it. We got a good football team. We've earned our opportunity to get here. I'm proud of them."

Motivation only takes a team so far when it's in the hunt for a national title, but when combined with a top-notch roster and coaching staff, it can put a team over the top. Take last season, for example. Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and the rest of that Clemson veteran defensive line came back specifically for that moment in Santa Clara, California, when they hoisted the national championship trophy as Alabama walked begrudgingly to the locker room.

This year, the motivation is "proof." Proof that Clemson is the dynasty. Proof that it has been overlooked. Proof that it deserves a permanent spot in that upper echelon. If you don't think that matters, you haven't watched Clemson over the last five seasons.