Three games in, and the wheels are almost completely off of Clemson’s season.
Through the first three games, the Tigers have looked like anything but a team worthy of a spot in the College Football Playoff. Something most would have thought was a sure thing coming into the season. However, sitting at 1-2, and with Syracuse visiting on Saturday, this Clemson team’s season is now literally on the line.
The fact that the Tigers have won six straight against the Orange and opened up as 16.5-point favorites is of no consequence. Right now, all bets are off when it comes to this team.
Very little has gone right offensively. For whatever reason, Cade Klubnik and Co. just can’t seem to stay out of their own way. The senior signal caller has more turnovers (4) than games played, and his two last week were extremely crucial. His interception with Clemson inside the Georgia Tech 10-yard line proved to be especially devastating.
After holding up fairly well over the first two games, even the defense is starting to show signs of weakness. Tom Allen’s unit just can’t get off the field. Opposing offenses are converting 44% of their third-down opportunities, and that certainly isn’t the recipe for success.
Well, it is now or never for this team on Saturday. There is no more margin for error if the Tigers are to have any hope of making it to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game in December. Somehow, some way, Clemson just needs to find a way to win a football game. How good they look in doing it doesn’t really matter.
This team just needs to know they are capable of beating a Power-4 opponent. Right now, they look more like a team just hoping to win, rather than taking the field expecting to win.
It very likely won’t be easy, no matter what the point spread suggests. Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli leads the nation in passing yards with 1,072. He’s thrown eight touchdowns to just two interceptions.
Angeli isn’t much of a factor with his legs, so maybe Allen gets a little more aggressive this week. The Tigers’ vaunted defensive front hasn’t been all that vaunted so far, outside of Will Heldt, who has been exactly what most envisioned he’d be when Clemson snagged him out of the portal. The Orange have already given up nine sacks this season, so that offensive line hasn’t exactly been a strength. Can the Tigers take advantage?
We can talk about the defense all we want, but it’s the Clemson offense that needs to show some life. Like Clemson, Syracuse has also struggled when it comes to getting off the field. Offenses are converting 43% of their third downs against that defense.
The Orange are also giving up 165 rushing yards per game, allowing 4.8 yards per carry, and that’s where the Tigers win this game. If Garrett Riley makes it a point to get Adam Randall and that running game going early, and sticks with it, Clemson wins.
Struggle to run the ball and put it all on Klubnik’s shoulders, and it could be another long afternoon. He needs the rushing attack to be successful to take some of the pressure off.
With it starting to sound like star wideout Antonio Williams might be back for this one, Klubnik just might finally have his favorite target back on the field, and that can only help when it comes to trying to find a spark to the passing game.
Dabo Swinney went full scorched-earth mode during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, the same way he did back in 2023 after the Tigers got off to a slow start. That rant was the beginning of Clemson winning its final five games to end that season. Whether this one has the same effect is yet to be determined.
I think Clemson does win this one, though, even if it’s a little ugly at times.
Clemson 24 Syracuse 16
Photo by Bart Boatwright