Well, it’s finally here. No matter if your team is in the field or not, we have all been waiting for College Football Playoffs. Clemson, after a bizarre turn of events, was one of the 12 teams to find themselves in the 2024 CFP.
Now things get real. The Tigers are matched up with the runners-up of the SEC in the Texas Longhorns. Outside of the Palmetto State, everyone is wondering much of the same thing: does Clemson have a chance?
I counted them out against South Carolina: I was right.
I counted them out against SMU: I was wrong.
I counted out Dabo using the transfer portal: I was also wrong.
I am quadrupling down and counting them out against Texas.
The Longhorns are a great football team. They have maybe the best defense in the 12-team field. Texas can move the ball up and down the field on offense when they are clicking. The issue has been that Quinn Ewers has not been clicking for a whole lotfor the last few months.
If Quinn Ewers plays all 60 minutes in this game, I think Texas wins, but Clemson hangs around for a little while. If Arch Manning plays a good bit in this game, I think the Longhorns could boatrace Clemson. Manning brings mobility that Ewers just does not have. Clemson has already struggled mightily this season against quarterbacks who can run the football. If you don’t believe me, just rewatch the South Carolina game AND the second half of the ACC Championship.
This game is not about what Clemson will or won’t do. It’s about what Texas offense shows up. If Quinn Ewers returns to form or if Arch Manning comes in running all over the place, the Longhorns easily win. I do not see a way in which the Clemson defense can shut down Ewers and those pass catchers as their best or Manning’s legs.
Cade Klubnik is going to have a time against that Texas defense. The Austin, Texas native returns to home for the most important game of his tenure as a Tiger. He has made some real strides in 2024 and has solidified himself as the starting QB for 2025 (if he doesn’t transfer or declare for the NFL Draft). I expect Klubnik to throw it for 35+ times, and if Clemson wants to have a fighting chance, he will HAVE to play as good as he has in the past two games.
Clemson’s biggest detriment in this game is the lack of a run game. Sure, Cade can use his legs and will probably have a couple of big runs. However, the Tigers’ running back room is beat up. Phil Mafah is dealing with multiple injuries. Jay Haynes, who has not played much anyways, is out for the rest of the year. Everyone else on the depth chart has only touched the field in cupcake games. This is the biggest concern for the Tigers going up against one of the best run defenses in the whole country.
The offensive line is a concern beyond the running game. Cade is going to have to throw the ball. In order for him to have success doing so, he has to have time in the pocket. This Texas pass rush is good, and the Clemson o-line has also had its fair share of injuries. The Tigers offensive line will have to protect Cade as well as they did against South Carolina against a Texaspass rush that is as good, if not better, than that of the Gamecocks.
I hate to be all doom & gloom Tiger fans. However, just be happy you got here. You won the ACC. You made the 12-team playoff. Dabo decided to start using the portal. You have it made right now. I don’t things will go your way in between the lines on Saturday, but if they do, that’s just the cherry on top for what has been maybe the most bizarre month in the last 10-15 years of Clemson Football.
It’ll be a BYOG, All In, and orange pants magic type of game on Saturday afternoon in Austin. Dabo almost always has his teams ready for big games. This is one of the biggest he has coached in. The Tigers are also a double-digit underdog. A big game and an underdog tag attached could be all Dabo Swinney needs to pull off one of the biggest upsets in CFP History.
