November is usually what Dabo Swinney likes to refer to as the championship phase at Clemson.
However, as the Tigers enter the final month of the regular season, it appears any hope Clemson had of competing for an ACC Championship disappeared when Virginia Tech scored a late game-winning touchdown in Death Valley a little over a week ago.
Clemson is actually still mathematically alive when it comes to locking up a spot in Charlotte on December 5, but in order for that to happen, a lot of craziness will have to unfold in front of them in the standings.
The ACC has already supplied plenty of craziness over the first two months of the season. One thing Clemson needed was SMU to lose, and Syracuse took care of that on Saturday, getting a game-winning touchdown with just 17 seconds left in the game to take down the Mustangs. It was the Orange’s first win over a ranked opponent in nearly two years.
“That is two big wins in a row,” Swinney said after Clemson pulled off its own upset over FSU. “They beat North Carolina in overtime and now they turn around, and they win this game. SMU is a really good team. I know it will be a tough battle up there next week. Those guys are playing with a lot of confidence. That is what winning does. Winning breeds some confidence.”
After escaping Chapel Hill by the skin of their teeth, top-ranked Miami remains unbeaten. Wake Forest is one game back, sitting at 5-1 in the standings. Louisville, SMU, Virginia Tech and Duke are all sitting there with two ACC losses, along with Clemson. Obviously, the Hokies have the tiebreaker over the Tigers.
To have any hope, the Tigers would have to run the table against their remaining ACC opponents, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Duke. All teams that knocked off the Tigers last season.
“You never know,” Swinney added. “It is college football, man. You better show up and play.”
That is just one scenario. With the inconsistency this Clemson team has shown on offense, winning out against the final three ACC opponents is far from guaranteed, meaning there are different ways this thing could play out.
Make no mistake, this team looks to have taken a step forward in the win over Florida State. Freshman Tait Reynolds had his best half of football over the first two quarters, connecting on 12-of-19 for 118 yards. Reynolds even threw two touchdown passes, after having only tossed one across the first seven games. There was a lot to like.
However, the second half told a different story. Reynolds was just 6-of-13 for 71 yards after halftime. His legs were certainly a factor, with his record-breaking 79-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter putting the game away after the Seminoles had cut a 19-point lead down to five with about five minutes left.
Having said that, the team finished off the Seminoles Saturday night. Something they were not able to do a week earlier against Virginia Tech.
Now, it’s about stringing together some wins. And it’s certainly fair to wonder whether this team is actually capable of doing that.
“You just got to go play them,” Swinney said. “Going into November and still be in it, hey, that is what we wanted. Wish we could have found a way to get one more, but we are still in it. That is all you can ask for.”
Either way, it’s certainly setting up to be a November to remember. The only question is what will it be remembered for?
