Clemson's climb back up the mountain has been tougher than expected |
The climb back up the mountain has been tough. Is the pinnacle in sight? Not yet, but progress is being made.
Heading into the 2020 season's College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, the Tigers were still one of the kings of the college football world. The loss to LSU the year before had soured some on Clemson, but the only regular season loss in 2020 was the 47-40 thriller at Notre Dame in a game in which starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t play. But Ohio St. ran roughshod over the Tigers that night, rolling up 639 yards of total offense on the way to a 49-28 victory. The year prior, LSU rolled up 628 yards against Clemson in the National Championship, and some wondered if the program was in a state of decline. They weren’t wrong – Clemson hasn’t returned to the Playoff since that night in New Orleans, and if you’re counting, that’s 1,146 days ago. And in that period, the game has changed dramatically. NIL is the new way of recruiting, and the transfer portal provides teams with a quick-fix solution. I’ve had conversations with head coach Dabo Swinney several times since that night, and more than once we’ve talked about the climb back up the mountain. How people might have a better appreciation for it the second time around. How much harder it has become. How much sweeter it would be if it happened. And while it’s in my nature to be cynical – and the nature of the job at times – he’s never wavered from the belief that the Tigers will see the mountaintop again. He cautions that winning it all can’t be the main goal, but if you do things the right way, take care of the rest of your business and receive some good injury luck also, good things will happen. However, Clemson has battled injuries, staff changes, and turnovers on the way to losing seven games over the last two seasons. Questions abound, both nationally and locally, and people wonder just where this Clemson program stands. Elite? One of the top four or five teams in the country? Not at present. There have been too many breakdowns along the offensive line, at quarterback, and at wide receiver. A lack of explosive plays on offense has been an issue. And the questions about all of that won’t be answered this spring. We won’t know the answers until next football season, when the games count. But progress is being made. Swinney made two staff changes in December – bringing in Chris Rumph to coach the defensive ends and Matt Luke to coach the offensive line. The staff loves the 2024 recruiting class and feels that some of the issues have been addressed in recruiting. But it’s the coaching changes that bring perhaps the most excitement. Swinney then went out and ensured his staff was paid like the ones that helped the team make six consecutive College Football Playoffs. After raises, the Tigers’ total assistant coach pay in 2024 will be $9.675 million, which should comfortably rank among the top 10, if not the top five, among college football programs nationally. Clemson’s total assistant coach pay last season was $7.775 million, according to USA TODAY, which ranked No. 9 nationally. That’s a $1.9 million jump in total assistant coach pay for 2024. All of his assistant coaches are now under contract through at least 2026. For the first time in a while, it feels like things are on the right track. But climbing up the mountain isn’t always easy – I tell friends that a bucket list item of mine is to one day at least climb to Mt. Everest base camp. My friends remind me that I am old and out of shape, and that many motivated people with good equipment will forever lie frozen on that mountain. Sometimes you need a little luck along the way. But this climb is off to a good start, and the next portion of the journey is spring practice. It won’t take Clemson to the pinnacle, but it’s another big step in the journey.
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