As I watched Clemson vs Florida State today from the stands Saturday, something became clear to me.
I’ve seen this series of Clemson games going back to last year all before.
During the Bowden era, Clemson was rarely truly awful. Typically they were a 7-9 win team, that could show up at times and play with the best teams in the country. Bowden rarely won those games, but you left thinking they were so close – and it was moral victory time. Other times, it was an inexplicably flat sloppy performance that crushed high pre-season expectations and more often than not as the higher-ranked team. Even further, the Tigers would come up with a brilliant performance that screamed if we could just be consistent we’d be great. The playcalling would range from genius to mind-numbingly dumb.
That was Bowden’s tenure in a nutshell.
It’s become the current incarnation of the Clemson Tigers, and Dabo Swinney looks more and more like Tommy Bowden with each passing game.
Going back to last year, Clemson fell flat at Notre Dame, threw a game away against South Carolina with conservative play-calling, played fantastic against UNC in the ACC Title game, was a comedy of errors against Duke, and Saturday outplayed Florida State for the majority of the game and still managed to lose at home.
Clemson panicked in the last two offensive series of the game with a missed FG without taking a single shot into the endzone, then in OT on 3rd and 1 couldn’t pick a yard in two plays with disastrous play calling.
The consistency that was the hallmark of Clemson from 2015-2020 is a distant memory, and Dabo Swinney is coaching like the second coming of Tommy Bowden – the best and worst of him.
I don’t know what to expect of Clemson for the rest of the year. They are clearly talented, especially on defense. QB Cade Klubnik is improving with each passing week and played well enough to win before the coaching staff handcuffed him with the play calling.
The schedule is brutal though. Clemson still has to play undefeated Syracuse on the road, Notre Dame, go to Miami, North Carolina, and South Carolina in Columbia and that’s hoping you don’t get upset get along the way.
I just can’t see better than 8-4, which was right in Tommy Bowden’s wheelhouse.
It’s become mental too, Clemson has now collapsed in the 2nd half of games with chances to win in three straight times – against South Carolina, Duke, and Florida State. The Tigers simply can’t beat quality teams in close games on the road or at home.
How does Dabo Swinney overcome that?
And please don’t use Saturday as progress… Boston College nearly beat FSU at home too, and then promptly lost by 4 TDs to Louisville. I need to see 2 or 3 weeks of quality play before I believe Saturday was anything more than a nice effort at home.
Today didn’t answer any questions about Clemson, it only raised even more.
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