Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have high expectations heading into the 2023 season, and according to 247Sports, so does everyone else.
There has been tremendous hype surrounding the Florida State Seminoles heading into the season, with many believing they are the best team in the ACC. The thing is, Clemson, has had a stronghold on the conference, winning seven of the last eight conference championships.
Is it the Seminoles’ time? Or will the Tigers be the top dog in the ACC once again?
We don’t know right now, but a 247Sports article discussing potential disappointments in 2023 that would shock fans believes that Clemson not winning the ACC would be just that, a disappointment that shocks fans. Here is what writer Brad Crawford had to say about it.
What warrants disappointment: Failing to win ACC
Is Clemson’s mystique as an annual threat to win the national championship beginning to evaporate? Most of us assume Dabo Swinney made college football’s most impactful coordinator hire this cycle, landing TCU’s Garrett Riley, who was the national assistant of the year last season after helping lead the Horned Frogs to the national championship game. Clemson is the expected preseason favorite in the ACC alongside Florida State and has won at least 10 games every season since 2011, so why is there a smidge of disbelief in the Tigers?
Glancing at the two deep, this squad is loaded on the defensive side of the football with several future early-round picks returning and should be strong up front, but Clemson needs first-year starting quarterback Cade Klubnik to be the difference-maker Trevor Lawrence was offensively. Swinney’s program hasn’t reached the playoff since the 2020 season, which also marks the last time the Tigers flexed a feared playmaker at receiver. Consecutive signing classes outside of the top 10 have increased doubt on whether this program can continue its stay among annual national championship contenders and the 2023 campaign will reveal what we need to know about the Tigers in what looks like a two-team race in the ACC.
If Clemson fails in its quest to get to the final four and loses to a lesser-talented South Carolina in the regular-season finale on the road, the lack of momentum will escalate heading into 2024.
This would definitely be a disappointment for fans, but the shocking piece is the thing I don’t understand. Though analytics are on the side of the Tigers, the majority has been on Florida State as the best team in the conference.
With all of the hype around the Seminoles, I doubt it would be shocking for them to win the conference. Even so, it would be disappointing for the Tigers.
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