Just before kickoff in Raleigh last week, Dabo Swinney gathered his players around and told them what was at stake. Clemson had just learned Wake Forest went down at Virginia Tech with their second conference loss, meaning the Tigers had an opportunity to clinch the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
“You got an opportunity tonight, not next week, tonight to punch our ticket to Charlotte,” he said. “Tonight, right now, you are four quarters away from Charlotte. Here is what I want. Get your butt in that locker room, get them orange pants on and let’s go Tigers!”
Clemson put on the orange pants, which it wears when it can clinch a championship, and whipped NC State, 55-10, to win its fifth straight ACC Atlantic Division Title. As Swinney said, it punched the Tigers’ ticket to Charlotte on Dec. 7 where they will play the winner of the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game.
Now comes the difficult part for Clemson, staying focused on the prize ahead, which is not this week. With the Tigers already crowned Atlantic Division Champions, this week’s game against Wake Forest lost a little bit of its luster. The game means nothing in the ACC Championship race and is a buffer before the Tigers try to extend their five-year win streak against rival South Carolina on Dec. 30.
So, is there a chance No. 3 Clemson could be overlooking Wake Forest, a team just a week ago it thought it would be playing with a division championship on the line?
“We’re always thinking the best is yet to come,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “That is what Coach Swinney kind of instills in us. We have bigger goals than that. We are kind of going down our check list of goals we want to hit, and we have done that, but there are still a few ones left on there.”
The next goal for Clemson is winning the state championship over the Gamecocks for a sixth straight year and then the ACC Championship follows. The Tigers’ final of the five goals, win the last game … whether that is with a bowl victory or winning another national championship.
“That is just keeping the big picture in mind and knowing we can play better, and we still have our best football ahead and it is something we can work for, as well,” Lawrence said.
The Tigers (10-0, 7-0 ACC) are also in what Swinney has called a one-game playoff every week. With a weak strength of schedule, they cannot afford to slip up and lose. And despite its loss at Virginia Tech last week, Wake Forest is still a formidable opponent who has won seven of its first nine games.
“The biggest thing for us is that we accomplished a goal, which was to win the division. Now, we want to send these seniors out the right way on Senior Day,” co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “Then we have another goal coming up with the state championship, so that is our focus. At the end of the day, we are focused on what the final numbers are.
“We understand if we want to be in that conversation at the end, then we have to take care of business. I think the guys are confident right now. It is our job, as coaches, to make sure we do not over complicate it.”
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