The Alabama Crimson Tide were headed for back-to-back national championships. Their defense was loaded with first- and second-round NFL Draft picks. They had a crushing running game ad a strong offensive line. They took a big lead in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game… and they still couldn’t finish off the Clemson Tigers. Quarterback Deshaun Watson showed why he was the best player in the country, even though fellow ACC quarterback Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy at Louisville. Clemson stormed back to rally and win in the final seconds, claiming its first national championship since 1981. Coach Dabo Swinney completed his improbable rise from a struggling young head coach to one of the elite head coaches in the sport.
Now comes the really hard part: How to do it all again… but this time without Watson at quarterback?
How Did They End 2016
The Tigers lost to Pittsburgh toward the end of their regular season, and while that loss forced them to be perfect the rest of the way, it actually snapped them into a state of focus. Clemson played better after that loss than it had before the loss. The Tigers were clearly feeling the pressure of trying to get back to the national title game they lost to Alabama in January of 2016. After the loss to Pitt, they crushed a decent Wake Forest team, cruised past South Carolina, and then roared on offense to speed past Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. Back in the College Football Playoff for the second straight year, Clemson authored its best performance of the season by shutting out Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Then came the stirring fourth-quarter comeback against Alabama to win the school’s second football national championship. It was a dream season where Howard’s Rock lives.
Offseason Changes
The changes come at the big offensive skill positions. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, receiver Mike Williams, tight end Jordan Leggett, and running back Wayne Gallman – the centerpieces of this offense the past two seasons – are gone. A fresh cast will form the core of this offense and be asked to lead the team back to the top of the ACC Atlantic Division, in pursuit of an ACC title and a third straight College Football Playoff appearance.
Team X-Factor
This one simply isn’t complicated. Kelly Bryant, Hunter Johnson, or whoever becomes the next quarterback, faces the daunting task of replacing Watson. It is unreasonable to expect the new quarterback to be as great as Watson was. The key will be to find a quarterback who can run the offense, release the ball early to negate opposing teams’ pass rushes, and make minimal mistakes so that the Tigers’ loaded defense can win games. Low mistake counts can still make everything work for the Tigers this season.
What To Expect From The Tigers This Year
Watson did so much for this program – he was a special quarterback not because of his great talent, but because of his leadership. He held together the offense in ways which can’t easily be appreciated. It is hard to think that Clemson, in 2017, can do all the things it did in 2015 and especially 2016. This feels like a step-back year. The question is how far will the backward step be? Given that Clemson has so much quality depth on defense and at wide receiver, it’s probably not going to be too much. This team should still get a very good January bowl bid.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 14-1
2015: 14-1
2014: 10-3
2013: 11-2
2012: 11-2
Schedule & Outlook
The Tigers don’t exactly have an easy start to their schedule. They’ll pummel Kent State in Week 1 but then they’ll host Auburn and go to Louisville in back-to-back weeks. If this is truly rebuilding, they could be 1-2. However, for a team that has hit double-digit wins in six straight seasons, it’s fair to say that “rebuilding” is more so just retooling for them.
Clemson did not lose a regular season game in 2015, and it lost one in 2016. This year, the Tigers will go 10-2… which is really quite exceptional for a program missing an elite quarterback. Clemson is really that good at the other spots on its roster. This program reloads instead of rebuilds, but missing Watson will matter.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 9.5
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