After sifting through Dabo Swinney’s Spin, today Clemson looks like an 8-4 team headed to a bowl game on the Tex-Mex border.
Swinney believes the program has found itself after a generation of wandering from Tommy to Tommy and there’s evidence that he’s correct.
That may not be sufficient to overcome a schedule tougher than it initially looked on paper. A lot must go right for Clemson to log a fifth straight season of 10 or more wins at alone fulfill any loftier ambition.
Much of the season hangs on the promise of several freshmen and the ability to run and to stop the run.
All the rhetoric about the bonding and cohesiveness rings hollow until there’s tangible evidence this offensive line can handle the better opponents on the schedule. Settling on five starters took a while, and that’s not necessarily good. Even if there’s a comfort level with the 10 on the depth chart, three of them have never taken a snap including freshman left tackle Mitch Hyatt.
Hyatt may truly be a really player someday, but Wofford and App State and Shaq Lawson probably won’t prepare him for Sheldon Rankins on Thursday night in Papa John’s Stadium and Pizza Emporium. Are there enough tight ends to cover his outside shoulder?
If that doesn’t trigger nightmares for Watson, he’s one chill dude.
Clemson does not want Watson to be the focal point of its run game. An offensive line struggling to pass block eventually affects its proficiency in the run. With as many as four backs including Wayne Gallman, last year’s top rusher, there shouldn’t be any need to lean on Watson unless the line breaks down. Watson could have a monster year throwing the ball if the line holds and he isn’t required to run for self-preservation.
The perception he might be injury prone or fragile is absurd, really. Nick Schuessler and Kelly Bryant are the insurance policies at quarterback, maybe Tucker Israel at some point. Watson will wear a knee brace, which doesn’t engender confidence in the fan base. Nor do his coaches who say they’ll let Deshaun be Deshaun.
A year ago there weren’t many options. Schuessler, who piloted the offense confidently during spring practice, is the backup for depth chart purposes. Bryant and Israel are new freshmen (as opposed to true freshmen), and either of them could see the field this season. Feeling any better?
There are concerns about where and to whom Clemson turns next if there are injuries at linebacker, which could test defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ creativity as well as his patience.
Last season Stephone Anthony played a team-high 711 defensive snaps in 12 games, roughly 60 a game. If Ben Boulware and B.J. Goodson each play nearly 800 this season the matter could be moot. Boulware said he’s down with playing as long as he’s needed.
Even if Kendall Joseph can be physically ready for Louisville and Jalen Williams doesn’t quake in his spikes, Venables may feel like a chef opening the refrigerator and thinking, “I need to go to the store.”
Stopping the run isn’t totally on the linebackers, though after the second scrimmage Swinney dropped a subtle hint when he mentioned how frequently the running backs reached the secondary. Losing tackle D.J. Reader for the short term could push freshman Christian Wilkins into a major role on a line already racked by graduation. Venables said he’s ready to play, just not ready to be All-Pro.
Special teams need substantial improvement. Last season in conference Clemson was 11th in punt returns (100th nationally) and 10th in kickoff returns (115th nationally), and seventh in defending punt returns (46th) and kickoff returns (41st). ESPN ranked Clemson 121st in special teams efficiency.
Clemson opens 2015 with a new kicker and new punter.
Faced with three games without kicker Ammon Lakip, Swinney hadn’t anticipated Greg Huegel would emerge as a potential solution. Huegel, who twice auditioned for a spot on the team as a walk on, displayed a strong leg during preseason drills and attracted the respect of his peers.
Some teams prefer not to punt under any circumstances. Georgia Tech averaged slightly more than two a game last season. Oregon , OhioState and FloridaState average fewer than 3.5. And a high school coach in Pulaski , Ark. , virtually refuses to punt and always on-side kicks. Clemson averaged six. A former high school all-state lacrosse attacker, punter Andy Teasdall won a scholarship in August after a brief audition as a sophomore and a solid spring.
After generating one touchdown last season, Swinney seems prepared to put his fastest players in position provide a spark in the return game.
If everything comes together, the schedule seems well suited for an ambitious team with questions in several critical areas.
A real sense of where this team might be in December or January could come quickly if Clemson sweeps games 3 through 5. Lose one or two and the remainder of the schedule looks more vexing, even with Florida State at home.
No. 3: Those midweek TV games haven’t been the best showcase for Clemson so Louisville on Thursday could morph into a shootout with Watson having a chance to win it in the final possession.
No. 4: Notre Dame is – well – Notre Dame, bringing the kind of swagger everybody aspires to replicate. Think the Yankees or the Celtics or Man U coming to town.
No. 5: Nobody runs the ball better than Georgia Tech. Wofford should provide an intriguing first look of the defense against the option, though open casting calls for linebackers might follow.
Florida State can’t be trusted to roll over and play dead on the road, particularly if running back Dalvin Cook is on the field and the linebackers are thinning.
Neither Miami with quarterback Brad Kaaya, nor N.C.State with running back Shad Thornton are receiving much respect, but both teams could be hiding in the tall grass for an ambush.
And South Carolina in Columbia , that’s always problematic regardless of how many of you wanted to disregard the Gamecocks.
Best case it’s a 10-2 season, though as Venables said there’s, “an emergency.”
How do margaritas and fajitas sound?