SIMPSONVILLE — Despite finishing the 2025 season with a 7-6 record and losing four home games, area Clemson fan Derek Thibodeaux remains adamant that the Tigers would "absolutely destroy" the Indiana Hoosiers, who won the national championship Monday night with a perfect 16-0 record.

"Look, I watched that game against Miami, and I wasn't impressed," said Thibodeaux, 34, from his usual stool at Wild Wing Café. "Indiana barely won 27-21. You know what Clemson did against Miami in 2020? Beat them 42-17. Case closed."

When reminded that the 2020 season was five years ago and that this year's Clemson team lost to Syracuse at home, Thibodeaux was undeterred.

"Syracuse is a quality loss," he explained, adjusting his faded orange visor. "Indiana didn't even play Syracuse. How do we know they could beat Syracuse? We don't. That's the point."

The Eye Test

Thibodeaux, who has missed exactly zero home games since 2011 despite what he calls "overwhelming evidence that Death Valley has lost its magic," outlined his reasoning for why the Tigers—who lost their season opener to LSU and suffered their first home loss to Duke since 1980—would defeat a team that beat Alabama 38-3 and Oregon 55-26 in the playoffs.

"It's the eye test," he said, pointing to his eyes. "When I watch Clemson, I see a team that could beat anybody on any given Saturday. When I watch Indiana, I see a team that got lucky sixteen times in a row."

His wife, Amanda, who was seated nearby scrolling through her phone, declined to comment but did audibly sigh twice during the interview.

"We Beat South Carolina"

When pressed on how a team that lost to Duke at homecoming could defeat the national champions, Thibodeaux pivoted to Clemson's 28-14 victory over rival South Carolina.

"We beat South Carolina," he stated. "Did Indiana beat South Carolina? No. They didn't even schedule them. Scared, probably."

Indiana, based in Bloomington, is located approximately 500 miles from Columbia and has not played South Carolina since 1973.

"Exactly," Thibodeaux said. "They've been ducking them for fifty years."

The Dabo Factor

Thibodeaux also cited head coach Dabo Swinney's championship pedigree as a determining factor, noting that Swinney has won two national titles compared to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's one.

"Dabo's won two. Cignetti just won his first. Simple math," he said. "Two is more than one. Clemson wins."

When asked if he was concerned about the program's trajectory given this was their worst season since 2010, Thibodeaux finished his beer and stood up.

"We're Clemson," he said. "We reload, we don't rebuild. Indiana's going to come back down to earth next year, and when they do, everyone's going to remember what I said here today."

He then requested that this reporter photograph him pointing at the television, which was showing Indiana players celebrating with the national championship trophy, while giving two thumbs down.

At press time, Thibodeaux had posted a 47-tweet thread explaining why the College Football Playoff committee should retroactively include Clemson in the bracket.