With Clemson’s last-second field goal loss to Georgia Tech last week, the Tigers fell to 1-2 on the season, their worst start since 2014. However, if history were to repeat itself, a 1-2 start for Clemson may not be such a bad thing after all.
2014 was a very interesting time for Clemson football. The Tigers were coming off three consecutive seasons of winning ten or more games in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, but it was then time to reload after the departure of offensive stars Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins.
With Boyd gone, it was up to either senior quarterback Cole Stoudt or highly-touted true freshman Deshaun Watson to take the reins of the Clemson offense. Clemson still had all the talent in the world on the defensive side of the football with unanimous All-American defensive end Vic Beasley and veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett returning as well.
That being said, Clemson would get off to a slow start to begin the 2014 season. With a season-opening blowout loss on the road against Georgia and an overtime loss on the road against reigning national champion Florida State, the Tigers found themselves off to a 1-2 start, the program’s worst start under Swinney up to that point.
However, Swinney rallied his troops, and Clemson went on to win nine of its last 10 games to end the 2014 season, including a statement win against Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
Swinney and the Tigers were able to turn their season back then, so why wouldn’t they be able to do the same thing now?
Fast forward to 2025, and the Tigers find themselves at 1-2 for the first time in 11 years, except this time, there seems to be little hope for the possibility of a great season.
Fans and media alike have been very quick to write off Clemson after subpar performances against LSU, Troy and Georgia Tech to start the season, and rightfully so. A preseason top-5 team struggling to beat an average Group-of-5 team will turn anyone’s head.
However, as history indicates, a 1-2 start for Clemson doesn’t mean the team’s season is over; in fact, it shows that the season is far from it. Swinney and the Tigers were able to turn things around in 2014 despite quarterback controversy between Stoudt and Watson that plagued the team all year.
Clemson’s current offensive struggles in 2025 are comparable to the problems they faced in 2014, but with the best defense statistically in the nation that year, Clemson was just fine.
Although the Tigers have underperformed to start the year, Clemson’s offense is still one of, if not the most talented, in all of college football in 2025. On top of that, with dominant defensive players like T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, Clemson’s defense could very well carry the team as it did way back in 2014.
Swinney was able to find success after a 1-2 start back then, and now he’s got even better pieces at his disposal to do the same.
If history is any sort of indication for Clemson football in 2025, the Tigers have a promising season ahead of them despite their early-season struggles.
