During a recent episode of College Football Live, an ESPN analyst weighed in on what he sees as the biggest question in the ACC entering the 2022 campaign:
Is Clemson back this season?
ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy gave his take.
“If Clemson stays healthy, if Clemson gets quality quarterback play, are they back?” he said. “Because we know what this team looks like when you have a top-tier quarterback, a topflight quarterback, a Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson – we know what they can do. But if they don’t have that, are they good enough to be able to still make a push to the College Football Playoff?”
McElroy also spoke about the departures of former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who are now of course the head coaches at Oklahoma and Virginia, respectively, with Wes Goodwin and Brandon Streeter filling the roles on Dabo Swinney’s staff vacated by Venables and Elliott.
“Gone are the coordinators that helped propel them to new heights as well,” McElroy said. “Tony Elliott is now the head coach at Virginia, and you also obviously have Brent Venables who’s now the head coach at Oklahoma. So, Brandon Streeter on offense and Wes Goodwin on defense, can they fill those voids?”
McElroy, like many, believes the Tigers will play at a “championship-caliber” level on defense again this season after finishing first in the ACC and second nationally behind only defending national champion Georgia in points per game allowed last season (14.8).
But McElroy wonders if Clemson will step up its production offensively following a season in 2021 during which D.J. Uiagalelei and company ranked 82nd nationally in points per game (26.3) and 103rd nationally in passing offense (191.2 yards per game).
“And then take into account one step further – will they maximize what they are on both sides of the ball?” McElroy said. “We know they were banged up, we know they’re going to play championship-caliber defense. That goes without saying. But will the offense hold up its end of the bargain? I think they can run the football, but can they now throw the football with the same level of efficiency that they’ve had in recent years?”
McElroy concluded that he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Clemson going into the upcoming season and went so far as to say that he believes the Tigers will return to the College Football Playoff after missing the playoff last year for only the second time in the CFP era (since 2014) and the first time since the CFP began in 2014.
McElroy is curious to see whether any other team can challenge Clemson in the ACC, if the Tigers play up to their full potential.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” McElroy said. “I think Clemson will have a bounce-back type of season. I actually think they’ll make the playoff. But is there really anyone within striking distance if they play their A game? That’s one of the biggest questions I want to find out.”
