Clemson football gained a reputation as one of the best football programs in the nation over the past decade, winning two national championships and making six playoff appearances in that time frame. With the introduction of NIL and a new 12-team playoff format, the most common storyline of recent seasons has focused on whether Clemson is a contender or a pretender in this new era of collegiate football.
In their prime, the Tigers touted a high-powered offense backed up by an impenetrable defense which allowed routine success. In recent years, however, offensive prowess has dwindled, leaving the defense out to dry on numerous occasions and leading to the addition of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley ahead of last season.
Riley previously helped lead Texas Christian University to a national championship appearance with dynamic offensive strategies under a modified Air Raid scheme. Last season, he adapted this scheme into Clemson’s offense, creating more balance for the Tigers, with 48.6% of the Tiger’s plays being the pass option.
Although Riley had previously succeeded with this scheme, the Tigers did not gel the same as TCU, ending the season ranked No. 50 in total offense compared to No. 8 in total defense.
With the offense continuing to disappoint, the Tigers’ identity has shifted from WRU to a sole focus on the defense, which has kept the team afloat in recent years. Many star defensive players return this season, but the question remains if that will be enough to compete for the championship.
After winning six ACC titles in six years, Clemson won just one of its previous three ACC championship games. With the winner of the ACC getting an automatic bid to the playoffs in the new 12-team format, this is Clemson’s best chance to continue to compete at a higher level.
The ACC is a wide-open competition this year, as many of last year’s formidable teams — Florida State, North Carolina and Duke, to name a few — lost critical pieces to the transfer portal and NFL, leaving a space for Clemson’s return to glory.
Clemson is in a place familiar to the pre-playoff era, being known as a competitive conference team that but widely regarded as a National Championship contender. However, a new playoff format and a weakened ACC may allow Dabo Swinney’s squad to summit the mountaintop they were on just five years ago.
