The USC Trojans have a lot of flaws on defense. We know they’re not especially deep or proven on the defensive line. They certainly can be exploited. There are several teams in the United States which are clearly better than the Men of Troy, teams which would beat up USC if they played this coming weekend.
The Clemson Tigers are not one of them.
It seems pretty clear that USC is a better team than Clemson right now. We don’t need to wait until Week 10 of the season, when USC’s defense might get better and develop a stronger, more cohesive identity with more toughness up front. We can say it today, after Week 1.
The Trojans are a better team than Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers.
Controversial? Sure.
Clemson has been a dynastic program since 2015, making the College Football Playoff — and the national title game — with great regularity. Clemson made the national championship game four times in a five-year span from 2015 through 2019. Even in a “down” year last year, Clemson won 10 games.
Given all the weaknesses at USC and all the struggles of the program in recent years, it’s reasonable to push back against the idea that USC is better than the Tigers.
However: Did you see Clemson play Georgia Tech on Monday night?
D.J. Uiagalelei is not fixed. He is going to struggle. He will probably be displaced for the QB1 slot by freshman Cade Klubnik before too long.
It should be acknowledged that Klubnik, once he gets the starting job, might make Clemson better than USC. We have to allow for that possibility. However, we are referring to the present moment, not Week 5 or Week 8. Right now.
Right now, Uiagalelei is still the starting quarterback for Clemson.
Are you going to tell me that Uiagalelei can beat Caleb Williams head to head? Are you going to tell me that Clemson’s mediocre offensive line can mash against USC’s defensive line?
Clemson is weak precisely in the areas where a team needs to be strong against USC. If a team wants to exploit USC at its weakes points, it needs a strong O-line and a high-level quarterback.
As long as Uiagalelei starts over Klubnik, Clemson is 0 for 2.
Yes, Clemson has a great defense. There are so many studs on that side of the ball. However, Georgia Tech — a bad team with a bad head coach, Geoff Collins — was close late in the third quarter. If Georgia Tech hadn’t made some special teams mistakes, the gap between these teams would have been even smaller.
Clemson is not the heavyweight it once was — not with shaky QB play which is the antithesis of the elite performances provided by Deshaun Watson and then Trevor Lawrence.
The Clemson Empire is no more. USC could — and, if given the chance, would — beat Dabo right now.
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