Clemson fans won’t like this post-Week 1 prediction for the Tigers

In an article by Bill Connelly that ran this week (subscription required), the ESPN writer gave his “overreactions” after Week 1 of the college football season, making bold statements about several teams, including Clemson, based on the first week of action.

Connelly’s overreaction for the Tigers? It’s something Clemson fans won’t like to see:

“Clemson is 7-5.”

Here’s some of what Connelly had to say about the aforementioned statement and the “issues for Clemson” that could arise after the Tigers’ 0-1 start and 34-3 loss to Georgia last Saturday in Atlanta:

“The holes in the depth chart that began to appear in 2021 have yet to be sufficiently addressed, and the “Clemson offense” that has produced some of the fewest big plays in the country for years was almost completely unable to hurt Georgia’s defense, gaining just 188 yards on 52 plays. Peter Woods and the Clemson defense did the best they could, forcing punts or field goals on Georgia’s first five drives. But they couldn’t stress quarterback Carson Beck much, and eventually a combination of Clemson demoralization and sheer Georgia pettiness ensued: The Dawgs scored touchdowns on four of five drives in the second half.

… We really don’t know what the future holds for college football roster management. Scholarship pools are changing; rosters will be capped; and player compensation is being revamped. The fact that Swinney wants to hold firm until these rounds of changes are complete makes some sense. But while plenty of decent teams get blown out by Georgia, the Clemson we saw on Saturday was blown out. The Tigers didn’t just look like a team far from the top 10 or 15 level; they looked like a team that might lose quite a few more games this season. True, almost no one else in the ACC looks better other than the one we’ll discuss next, but it doesn’t seem like an overreaction to think that a three-year slide at Clemson will continue apace into a fourth year.”

If Connelly’s prediction of a 7-5 record turns out to be true, it would be the Tigers’ fewest wins in a season since 2010, when Clemson went 6-7.

Last season, Clemson saw its streak of 12 consecutive double-digit winning seasons come to an end. However, after a 4-4 start, the Tigers won their final five games to finish the year at 9-4 and reach nine or more wins for the 13th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the country and tied for fourth-longest in college football history.

The Tigers, now ranked No. 22 in the coaches poll and No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll, will try to get into the win column this weekend when they host App State in their home opener at Memorial Stadium on Saturday (8 p.m., ACC Network).

There are still a limited number of signed Clemson footballs from the 2022 class. Get yours before supplies run out! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or shop online.