What Are Reasonable Expectations for Clemson In 2024?

What are reasonable expectations for Clemson in 2024?

For more than half a decade, the Tigers were seen as one of the premier programs in the country. The last three seasons, not so much.

After a six year stretch that saw Clemson make the College Football Playoff every year between 2015-2020, which included playing for four national titles and winning two of them, the Tigers would take a step back in 2021, going 10-3. Another 10-3 campaign followed in 2022, although Clemson still won the ACC.

However, in 2023, the program took another step back, going 9-4. The Tigers did manage to finish the season on a five-game winning streak after a 4-4 start that included a thrilling comeback win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. Despite the solid finish that also saw Clemson knock off Notre Dame, North Carolina and South Carolina, it was the first time Dabo Swinney’s program failed to hit the double-digit win mark since 2010.

Some in the national media aren’t all that high on Clemson entering the season, but for others closer to the program there appeared to be some optimism coming out of the spring, even if it is cautious optimism.

Make no mistake, Swinney has created a standard at Clemson, with the fan base expecting a program that can not only compete for spots in the playoff, but also national titles. Anything less is viewed as a disappointment by many, even if Swinney doesn’t necessarily view it that way.

So what are reasonable and/or realistic expectations for the upcoming season? That might depend on who you ask, but for a team with the talent level the Tigers currently have, at the very least this Clemson team should be competing for a spot in the playoff.

The defense is once again expected to be stout. It’s littered with high-end talent. It’s the offense that faces some unanswered questions. Can Cade Klubnik take that next step and start to resemble the former 5-star that won the Elite 11 before arriving on campus? Can the wide receivers stay healthy and put some explosiveness back in the offense? And can Matt Luke get the offensive line playing up to its potential?

Seeing as only nine teams have a higher blue-chip ratio than Clemson , competing for a playoff spot seems reasonable. Especially now that the field has been expanded to 12 teams, with the winner of the ACC getting an automatic bid.

Whether or not this program is once again ready to compete for a national title, that remains to be seen, but with Clemson opening up against Georgia in Atlanta, we should have a pretty good idea right off the bat.

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