ESPN on what Clemson football needs as a College Football Playoff contender

Everyone knows how important this season is for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program.

The 12-team College Football Playoff allows everyone, including the Tigers, more opportunity to make a run for a National Championship. The ACC is wide open, and while Clemson isn’t the king of the conference like it once was, there’s a good chance it’s the best team in the ACC.

Clemson is a contender; they just need a few things to fall into place. Recently, ESPN listed ‘ifs’ lists for playoff contenders (subscription required). The Tigers have a few obvious ones.

If … big plays are a thing. Garrett Riley’s first season as Clemson offensive coordinator was … familiar: The Tigers were reasonably efficient and almost totally lacking in explosiveness. Cade Klubnik averaged 9.8 yards per completion. After averaging a 50.0 ranking in offensive SP+ over 2021 and 2022, they ranked 51st in 2023. Not even remotely good enough.

It feels like years since Clemson has had a big play. Obviously, there have been some, but since the departure of Tee Higgins to the NFL, the frequency of these plays has dropped dramatically. Clemson needs to be able to hit the big ones.

If … the offense actually does the little things again. Without big plays, you need more plays to score. That means more opportunities to make a mistake. Clemson committed 22 turnovers (108th) and scored TDs on just 57% of its red zone trips (94th).

Consistency. Find some consistency on the offensive end. These are issues poorly coached teams have, and I don’t want to call a team with Dabo Swinney as the head coach poorly coached. However, some of these issues lie with the decision to start quarterback Cade Klubnik.

If … stability means improvement up front. The fact that nine offensive linemen started at least two games tells a story. The Tigers ranked 97th in total blown block rate, 66th in O-line penalties per game and 69th in stuff rate. There were too many negative plays for an efficiency-reliant offense. Seven of last year’s nine linemen return. Clemson has to make this a good thing.

Clemson’s offensive line doesn’t worry me as much as others. I have a feeling this group is going to put it together in 2024. They have the talent and the chemistry should be strong.