Clemson Tigers Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Clemson Tigers Preview
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 150-36, 15th year at Clemson
2021 Preview: Overall: 10-3, Conference: 6-2
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Clemson Top 10 Players | Clemson Schedule & Analysis
Clemson Tigers Preview 2022
Clemson finished with a double-digit win season.
The bar has been set so unreasonably high under Dabo Swinney that 10-3 seems like a disappointment, and it is to a certain extent.
The same talking points over several years held true for last season, too – there’s the break of playing an ACC schedule and not being in the SEC. However, the Tigers more than earned their stripes in the College Football Playoff under Swinney.
There’s been nothing fluky about this run. So let’s take a wee step back here for a moment and take a breath.
No, Clemson didn’t win the national championship. It didn’t go to the College Football Playoff, and it didn’t win the ACC title.
It did come up with a double-digit win season for the 11th straight season. That might not be the run Alabama is on, and that might not be there yet compared to the height of Bobby Bowden’s powers at Florida State, but come on.
Clemson lost three games. It’s okay.
The team struggled on offense, suffered a slew of injuries to its NFL-caliber defensive line, finished dead last in the ACC in passing efficiency, second-to-last in total offense, stalled countless times, and even with all of THAT, it took the eventual national champion (Georgia), a road game against the eventual ACC champion (Pitt), and a double-overtime road loss to one of the league’s best teams (NC State) to bring knock this program down.
By the way, you want crazy greatness? The previous regular season loss by more than nine points – up until the 27-17 loss to Pitt last year – was 28-6 in 20-freaking-14 on the road against Georgia Tech. The last home loss by double-digits? 2013 to the eventual national champion Florida State Seminoles.
Yes, Clemson showed signs last year that it was possibly mortal. Yes, the stability of the coaching staff was shaken after losing a few key parts, and yes, Dabo Swinney isn’t exactly all in on the new world of college athletics.
Yeah, but if Clemson can be merely okay on offense, it’s a College Football Playoff and ACC Championship team again, and 2021 will be nothing more than a quirky blip.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Clemson Top 10 Players | Clemson Schedule & Analysis