The advantage of getting blown off the sector in your first recreation of the season is, at the very least you’ve discovered your ground. When your opponent stomps you by an element of 10 — even when that opponent is the College of Georgia — properly, there’s just one path to go from there.
Simply have a look at Clemson now. Forgotten Clemson, mocked Clemson, dismissed Clemson, floor into orange paste by the Dawgs in that season debut, has now run off 4 straight wins. Because of a extremely favorable schedule, plus the snake pit that’s the SEC, Clemson, 4-1 and undefeated within the ACC, is in prime place for a School Soccer Playoff berth. After two current faceplants — 4-7 by seven video games in 2021, 4-4 by eight video games in 2023 — Clemson is holding it collectively in-conference thus far, and that’s made all of the distinction.
Coming into the season, final week’s Clemson-Florida State showdown was purported to be one of many ACC’s marquee video games of the yr. The Noles killed that by self-destructing, and Clemson took care of enterprise, 29-13. Because of this, the remaining slate for Clemson is like Interstate 85 with out pace traps, a wide-open path to Charlotte and the ACC championship. The one at the moment ranked workforce nonetheless on the Tigers’ schedule is No. 22 Pitt. Clemson wouldn’t meet both convention chief Miami or darkish horse (sorry) SMU till a hypothetical ACC title recreation.
Not solely that, final week’s sudden upsets throughout the faculty soccer panorama open the door somewhat wider for Clemson. For those who’re evaluating high quality losses, falling to then-top-ranked Georgia in Week 1 is preferable to falling to an unranked workforce later within the season.
Plus, it’s a stark reminder that there are not any gimmes in school soccer, not anymore. Sure, Clemson has a 15-game profitable streak in opposition to Wake Forest courting again to 2009, however as final weekend confirmed, you’re one week from a doubtlessly wrecked season.
“School soccer did us a favor,” Swinney mentioned earlier this week. “It is a week the place, in case you take note of what folks say on the skin, properly, they’ll be saying, ‘Hey, we’re purported to go win.’ This ain’t a recreation of ‘purported to.’ It is a recreation of what you do. It is a recreation of efficiency.”
The flip facet of a simple path to the ACC title recreation, after all, is that Clemson has no margin for error. Alabama can survive a loss to Vanderbilt, Tennessee can survive a loss to Arkansas. However Clemson, with its feathery-soft schedule, received’t get a mulligan for a loss to Wake, Virginia Tech or the Citadel. A loss within the ACC championship recreation and a 10-2 file would most likely be sufficient to get in. A loss earlier than then? Take pleasure in a bowl recreation, Tigers.
Additionally complicating issues for Clemson: Each Miami and SMU even have comparatively straightforward schedules from right here on out, which means — in principle — all three could possibly be undefeated in convention play on the finish of the season.
Proper now, Clemson sits within the higher center of the ACC in main offensive classes –fifth in yards per recreation, sixth in passing yards per recreation, third in speeding yards per recreation. Defensively, the Tigers run towards the decrease center of the convention, statistically. On the plus facet, although, take out the 3-point recreation in opposition to Georgia, and Clemson would rank No. 1 in factors scored per recreation … thus far.
Proper now, ESPN’s School Soccer Energy Index places Clemson’s probabilities of making the School Soccer Playoff at 37.2 p.c. That’s second-best within the ACC behind Miami, however 14th total, proper between Iowa State and Texas A&M. Not excellent … however the groups above Clemson have a way more troublesome street forward.
And talking of roads … Swinney is making an attempt to get the Tigers to espouse a “windshield mentality” — that’s, trying solely on the street in entrance of you, not the rear-view mirror. It’s coachspeak, sure, however coachspeak with a objective.
“Coming off a extremely good win on the street, we’re simply 4-1,” Swinney mentioned. “We ain’t completed nothing. We’re simply 4-1. That is it. All we have completed is create some alternative for ourself, however we have a protracted strategy to go.”
That’s true. However the way in which’s an entire lot shorter now than when Clemson was getting dog-walked by Georgia again in August.
