Week 1 overreactions often turn into freezing cold takes by mid-October.
See, 2023 Colorado, for example.
We have all seen enough evidence of Clemson’s demise over the last three seasons to comfortably say the days of coach Dabo Swinney’s program as a national championship contender are over and not have to worry about looking silly later this year.
In fact, what made No. 1 Georgia’s 34-3 demolition of the 14th-ranked Tigers on Saturday in Atlanta notable was just how unsurprising it was.
“When you get beat like that, that’s on the head coach,” Swinney told reporters. “Complete ownership of an absolute crap second half. Sometimes you get your butt kicked and we did today.”
The Bulldogs aren’t the defending champions — No. 9 Michigan has that title — but at 43-2 with two national titles since the start of the 2021 season they are the standard in college football.
This run of dominance for Kirby Smart’s squad began against Clemson in the ’21 opener. That night in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 10-3 without an offensive touchdown.
Since then, Georgia has been a rocket ship and Clemson is basically the same team: duds on defense, dysfunctional on offense, with a coach who simply refuses to use all avenues available to improve his team.
Swinney’s lack of transfer portal activity is well documented.
“People say whatever they are going to say,” Swinney said. “Doesn’t matter what I say. We do what’s best for Clemson. When you lose like this, they’ve got every right to say whatever they want and write whatever you want.”
Thing is, this really goes well beyond the portal. Cade Klubnik is now the second consecutive five-star quarterback recruit to not pan out at Clemson, following DJ Uiagalelei.
Maybe the receivers have a chance to be better this season. There was a lot of talk in the preseason about five-star freshman T.J. Moore. He had one catch against the Bulldogs.
Over the last three years, Clemson has had just three offensive players drafted, none higher than the fourth round. Who’s changing that anytime soon?
The good news is it will only get easier for the Tigers because Georgia is if not in a class by itself, one that can meet in a broom closet.
This Clemson team still feels like one that could contend for an Atlantic Coast Conference title, with defensive lineman Peter Woods and linebacker Barrett Carter making life miserable against most opponents. Heck, the Tigers’ D held up fine for a half against Georgia.
Try not to turn this into an indictment of the ACC, but it’s not good news for the angst-ridden conference that its most recent national title winner is simply no longer part of those conversations.
Now, Virginia Tech losing to Vanderbilt might be an indictment on the ACC.
Fortunately, No. 19 Miami looked very much like the real deal, swamping Florida behind Cam Ward. On the Is-The-U-Back? meter, the Hurricanes’ 41-17 victory was a solid 7 1/2.
Meanwhile, that smell coming from Gainesville, Florida, is resignation. A make-or-break season for coach Billy Napier started with no signs the Gators are any better than they have been.
“It’s embarrassing, to be quite honest with you,” Napier said.
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