CLEMSON — Clemson Football is in a good place right now.

The Tigers are 6-1 overall. They are 5-0 and in first place in the ACC. They are ranked No. 9 in the country.

It appears Clemson is right where it wants to be, right in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.

Now, it has to finish the job.

“We have been here before,” Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason said. “We were here a couple of years ago. We were 8-0 and we did not finish the season. We gave two games away.”

The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the country in 2022 and, like Eason said, had an 8-0 record as they went to play at Notre Dame on November 5. Unfortunately for them, they ran into a buzzsaw that night in South Bend, Ind., and were beat bad by the Irish.

A few weeks later, Clemson literally fumbled the game away against South Carolina at home. Though they did not know it at the time, it ultimately cost them a spot in the CFP.

“Our focus right now is getting better this week and having an opportunity to coach guys up and correct some mistakes,” Eason said. “There is always room for improvement. We need to continue to keep our heads down, stay humble and continue to work.”

What will it take for the Tigers to finish this time around and not get complacent.

“We are a really good football team,” Eason said. “When you are a really good football team there will be a lot of great things written about you, but you have to stay inside and out. You have to remain humble through this process and we have to finish.

“That is what it comes down to. It is all about how we finish through this last stretch.”

This last stretch has Clemson hosting Louisville (4-3) next Saturday at Memorial Stadium before hitting the road for two key ACC battles at Virginia Tech (4-3) and at Pitt (7-0). The Tigers return home to battle The Citadel before closing the regular season vs. the Gamecocks.

“We have to continue to stay together. Look in the mirror and figure out how you can get better,” Eason said. “How can you get better as a Coach? How can you get better as a player? Just continue to eliminate mistakes and go back to the drawing board knowing it always comes down to technique, fundamentals, toughness and effort. Things we talk about that our football program is built on.”