Thoughts on Clemson

[NDgreatestofalltime!]

I know it might not be popular here but I’ve been a big fan of Dabo from early on in his tenure at Clemson. I like the program and I always root for them unless they play ND obviously.

I’m curious as to what my fellow Domers think of Clemson/Dabo?

I have been an ardent defender of Dabo and I’m not abandoning that position right now but something does seem off there.

I understand that UGA is a juggernaut but Clemson of 3-4 years ago doesn’t lose like that to anyone. In fact in 2021 they lost to National Champs UGA by 7.

I thought they would be back at the top of the ACC this year after their turnaround mid season last year when they went 9-4 and the media acted like they were 5-7.

That said, their talent level at all the skill positions minus maybe RB Mafa, seems substantially below their roster of just a few years ago. I watch a lot of their games and follow them closely. The WRs look slower and not nearly as athletic/dynamic, their secondary, particularly their corners are not of the same caliber either. I’d also argue the OL play has been significantly less physical than previously.

So, has Dabo lost his way/touch? Has his failure to embrace the transfer portal been a major factor, are they just missing on a lot more recruits, is it the loss of great coordinators, or a combination of all?

I still think they’ll compete for the ACC title but am curious if their days as a top 3-4 team are behind them for the foreseeable future?

 

[Shakin' Down the Thunder]

Joel Klatt has a podcast and touched on this. He made a good point... Clemson had a dominant 7 year run that very few programs have been able to do. He also had Watson and then Lawrence as his QBs. Success is hard to achieve. It's even harder to sustain it. Unless you're Saban, this tends to go in cycles where you lose some dominant players and struggle to compete. I could easily see Clemson bouncing back. Just need to get the right mix coaches and superior talent again.

 

[NDgreatestofalltime!]

True on the QB’s. What OSU and Bama have done year after year at the position is essentially unprecedented, along with both teams WR rooms.

Clemson was fortunate to get two All Americans to start about 3 years apiece. I like Klatt, I think he’s a very insightful and reasoned analyst.

 

[NDgreatestofalltime!]

Forget everything I said, Dabo won 11 games with DJU two years ago, might go down as the greatest coaching performance in history.

 

[sjb75]

Forget everything I said, Dabo won 11 games with DJU two years ago, might go down as the greatest coaching performance in history.

Losing your opener 34-3 at Clemson, even if it is Georgia, will elicit criticism. Big salary, big expectations.

 

[Golson5]

Losing your opener 34-3 at Clemson, even if it is Georgia, will elicit criticism. Big salary, big expectations.

Tough business. Easy to say that from the couch

 

[BGI User 756]

Losing your opener 34-3 at Clemson, even if it is Georgia, will elicit criticism. Big salary, big expectations.

Lol. “Big salary, big expectations”. Hmmm, why haven’t you applied that tag line to Kelly…please explain.

 

[Holycrossover3]

I think a big downfall of Clemson is the fact that they haven’t adapted to the new transfer portal world. I believe they said on the broadcast Clemson has not started any transfers in the last 3 years.

Interesting to say the least as they’ve lost players to the portal, for example Beaux Collins.

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

I don't follow Clemson as closely as you do, but my perception is simply that they don't have as many good players, so I guess Swinney's recruiting has fallen off, especially at the QB position. Watson and Lawrence were two really good QBs, and having studs at the most important position on the field goes a long way. Klubnik is just a very pedestrian QB. Kelly had some really good teams at ND, but we never had a difference maker at the QB position, and so we just weren't competitive against really good teams. When you have holes on your roster due to recruiting deficiencies and portal transfers, you have to be willing to use the portal to fill those positions, but for whatever reason Swinney has doggedly refused to do so. Standing on principle is starting to cost him. Marcus Freeman, in contrast, has used the portal pretty well. Another factor I have heard mentioned is that Swinney had really good coordinators for a long time that he was able to keep by paying them handsomely, but now other schools are forking over some big salaries and Clemson has lost some key coaches. Whatever edge Swinney had, he seems to have lost.

 

[BGI User 1596]

It’s all due to the F+.

 

[Get Nasty]

He's been all in on klubnik and he's not good, despite him playing descent vs ND. I suspect clemsons offense is far better than it looked because it went against Georgia D, just like A&M and NDs offense will look much better going forward due to the D they went against.

I do think dabo is too stubborn to adjust and will make it very hard to win a title or even make the CFP until he does. I agree with him and his stance, but it's not the way to win.

 

[FightingIrish44]

I think the whole portal thing is overrated. I’d bet he would have taken a QB if it was available. Klubnik struggled but he also made some good throws.

It was also against the most dominant team of the last 3 years and it was 6-0 at half. I’d like to give the game a rewatch.

Typical overreaction to one game of football many in the media, etc. The team was better than their 9-4 record last year.

 

[mbd11]

Not using the portal at all could be hurting Clemson a little. It allows you to fill needs in your lineup. ND primarily just uses it for that, taking 5-6 players a year, mostly graduate transfers. We still mostly build our program the old fashioned way. And if other teams are doing that but Clemson isn't, that puts them at a disadvantage.

But some teams are using the portal a lot more than we are - like FSU. And this year that doesn't seem to be working out very well for them so far, although it did work out well for them the last few years. But their new transfers this year don't seem to be as good as their last ones from the last few years.

 

[Golson5]

I think the whole portal thing is overrated. I’d bet he would have taken a QB if it was available. Klubnik struggled but he also made some good throws.

It was also against the most dominant team of the last 3 years and it was 6-0 at half. I’d like to give the game a rewatch.

Typical overreaction to one game of football many in the media, etc. The team was better than their 9-4 record last year.

They took 0 transfers. Better QBs were available. Ward and Leonard and Howard

 

[Shakin' Down the Thunder]

The portal is the new Junior College. It can expire success if you get the right amount of talent. But it sets you back in recruits, as the guys can't stay longer 1-2 years on average.

 

[burmafrd1943]

Just goes to show you what an incredible run Saban had

Sweeny could not maintain the talent level on the field or on the staff. Even a small drop off can have big effects

and he is not using the Transfer Portal. big mistake

 

[jimlafrance]

Joel Klatt has a podcast and touched on this. He made a good point... Clemson had a dominant 7 year run that very few programs have been able to do. He also had Watson and then Lawrence as his QBs. Success is hard to achieve. It's even harder to sustain it. Unless you're Saban, this tends to go in cycles where you lose some dominant players and struggle to compete. I could easily see Clemson bouncing back. Just need to get the right mix coaches and superior talent again.

Klatt is great - doesn't hurt that he seems to consistently love on our Irish.

 

[echowaker]

They took 0 transfers. Better QBs were available. Ward and Leonard and Howard

On the Dan Patrick show today Dabo was referred to as the " flip phone of college football ". Kinda funny and accurate.

 

[HDK]

Call me old fashioned, but I never got over the time (maybe in 1977) when Clemson fans threw golf balls down at our players.

 

[BGI User 1596]

Call me old fashioned, but I never got over the time (maybe in 1977) when Clemson fans threw golf balls down at our players.

Cheap Top Flights…not one ProV1.

 

[Harpo Marxist]

On the Dan Patrick show today Dabo was referred to as the " flip phone of college football ". Kinda funny and accurate.

Flip phones are making a comeback....so there's that....

 

[BleedingBlueNGold]

I know it might not be popular here but I’ve been a big fan of Dabo from early on in his tenure at Clemson. I like the program and I always root for them unless they play ND obviously.

I’m curious as to what my fellow Domers think of Clemson/Dabo?

I have been an ardent defender of Dabo and I’m not abandoning that position right now but something does seem off there.

I understand that UGA is a juggernaut but Clemson of 3-4 years ago doesn’t lose like that to anyone. In fact in 2021 they lost to National Champs UGA by 7.

I thought they would be back at the top of the ACC this year after their turnaround mid season last year when they went 9-4 and the media acted like they were 5-7.

That said, their talent level at all the skill positions minus maybe RB Mafa, seems substantially below their roster of just a few years ago. I watch a lot of their games and follow them closely. The WRs look slower and not nearly as athletic/dynamic, their secondary, particularly their corners are not of the same caliber either. I’d also argue the OL play has been significantly less physical than previously.

So, has Dabo lost his way/touch? Has his failure to embrace the transfer portal been a major factor, are they just missing on a lot more recruits, is it the loss of great coordinators, or a combination of all?

I still think they’ll compete for the ACC title but am curious if their days as a top 3-4 team are behind them for the foreseeable future?

Dabo is a mighty fine coach. He won 2 national titles in the playoff era. That reserves a spot for him in the upper echelon of college football coaches. He seems like he is sputtering over the past couple years. However, as long as he is coach, I wouldn't discount Clemson in any game against any team.

 

[TDIrish27]

He's won 10 or more 12 of the last 13 years . The year he didn't he won 9.

Sputtering ?

 

[NCDomer1]

Cheap Top Flights…not one ProV1.

 

[NCDomer1]

You talk about a hot seat. Dabo is in big trouble right now losing top notch coordinations and not embracing the portal is a recipe for disaster. No matter what he will get another year, but he needs to change his approach. The days of a Lawrence is over with for the time being. Clemson is a brand name in college football, but the landscape has changed

 

[Golson5]

You talk about a hot seat. Dabo is in big trouble right now losing top notch coordinations and not embracing the portal is a recipe for disaster. No matter what he will get another year, but he needs to change his approach. The days of a Lawrence is over with for the time being. Clemson is a brand name in college football, but the landscape has changed

Honestly he doesn't need to change his approach. He just needs to hire the right coaches and land the right QB. Without 1 transfer that 18 Clemson team is the best team in cfb right now.

Because he can't get the right coaches and right QB it's making the transfer thing look like a glaring issue

 

[mbd11]

Honestly he doesn't need to change his approach. He just needs to hire the right coaches and land the right QB. Without 1 transfer that 18 Clemson team is the best team in cfb right now.

Because he can't get the right coaches and right QB it's making the transfer thing look like a glaring issue

But, the portal can help you get a new QB. We've done it 3 of the last 4 years now.

I like our approach of just using the portal to supplement in a few areas of need every year. And we mostly just take grad transfers. Leonard's an undergrad, but he only has one year left.

 

[Golson5]

But, the portal can help you get a new QB. We've done it 3 of the last 4 years now.

I like our approach of just using the portal to supplement in a few areas of need every year. And we mostly just take grad transfers. Leonard's an undergrad, but he only has one year left.

Yes he can. But it's not something he has to do.

He can also go back to landing very good QBs like Lawrence, Watson and Boyd.

 

[mbd11]

Yes he can. But it's not something he has to do.

He can also go back to landing very good QBs like Lawrence, Watson and Boyd.

He doesn't have to, but if other teams are using the portal to fill holes in their lineup and you aren't, then you're at a disadvantage. Even Georgia uses it like we do. Their two receivers who caught TD passes Saturday were both transfers, which surprised me when I heard that. But I guess even Georgia has a few holes to fill.

 

[NDblitz]

I heard someone talking about this on the radio and they noted that he was .870 with Venables and alluded to him being a lot of their success. Dabo Swinney is now 40-23 without Brent Venables as his defensive coordinator. With Venables, Swinney’s record as a head coach is 121-17.

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

He doesn't have to, but if other teams are using the portal to fill holes in their lineup and you aren't, then you're at a disadvantage. Even Georgia uses it like we do. Their two receivers who caught TD passes Saturday were both transfers, which surprised me when I heard that. But I guess even Georgia has a few holes to fill.

I was listening to the Dan Patrick show a few days ago and I thought he made a good analogy. Talking about Dabo, he said a CFB head coach who doesn't use the portal is like a GM of an NFL team saying, "Nope, the guys we drafted are plenty good. We don't need to sign any free agents." That GM would be gone in a minute.