5 Clemson Storylines as Cheez-It Bowl Prep Week Begins
Clemson returns to the practice field to get ready for the Dec. 29 Cheez-It Bowl and nails down much of its 2022 recruiting class this week.
It'll mark the first time the Tigers have practiced since late November, and a lot has happened since beating rival South Carolina in the regular-season finale. Iowa State, however, awaits, and the drama of the last week, while it will still continue, will start to take a backseat to opponent preparation.
Here are five storylines to follow with the Tigers this week:
1. Hearing from the head coach: Aside from a short bowl game press conference on Dec. 5 in the bowels of the Las Vegas Raiders football stadium and a couple of released statements, Dabo Swinney has been largely quiet this month. Fans and media members are awaiting Swinney's thoughts on the biggest changes his program has faced in nearly a decade.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott both left to take head coaching jobs, leaving Swinney with some major staff changes. Athletic Director Dan Radakovich is gone as well. Swinney will get a chance Tuesday to ease or change, the minds of folks who think Clemson can't overcome the latest adversity.
2. Coaching assignments: The most important aspect Swinney will address is his coaching staff and who is filling in for Venables and Elliott, as well as off-the-field staff members who left. Venables is taking a few folks with him, and it's easy to assume Elliott, who has spent the vast majority of his coaching career at Clemson, will do the same.
Who will call plays for the bowl game? Is it permanent? Are there some promotions coming? What's the status of analyst Wes Goodwin now that Venables is gone? Does Swinney feel like either side of the ball needs new direction/influence? How confident is he that Clemson can continue to be a national power with all of these changes? A lot of speculation and rumor will end Tuesday.
3. Early signing period: Clemson has had quite the eventful last couple of weeks on the recruiting trail. Three prospects, all from IMG Academy in Florida, decommitted. The Tigers lost out on a big receiver target but landed another. There are several spots still open that need to be filled, but the time for this upcoming early signing period is running out.
By Wednesday, the Tigers will largely know what their 2022 recruiting class is going to look like, and it's not going to be a large one. Swinney has planned on a small number of signees between this week and the February signing day, but that's not sitting well with the fan base. With nine scholarship players having entered the transfer portal since the start of the 2021 season, Clemson has some important roster questions to answer, but it might not be with this recruiting class.
4. Who's playing?: Speaking of transfers, Clemson receiver Ajou Ajou is the latest Tiger to enter the portal, and he still might not be the last, even after Wednesday's signing day. So many changes on the staff, and there will be more to come, typically forces players out, and the current coaches might still be weeding out some players. Others are going to see during bowl prep that they don't have much of a role and opt to move on.
Speaking of opting out, hen Swinney was asked last week about players potentially sitting out of the Cheez-It Bowl, he didn't have much of an answer. That might change throughout this week with practice resuming. It wouldn't be a surprise for a program that's used to going to the playoff to have a few guys decide to save themselves for the NFL draft or go ahead and get some injuries repaired.
5. Iowa State Cyclones: Remember this team? It's the opponent in Orlando later this month. It's O.K. if the fact that there's an actual game to be played this month, one that if Clemson wins it reaches double-digit victories, has been forgotten. It's been a crazy month.
But Swinney will certainly discuss his bowl opponent in more detail than the introductory pleasantries exchanged last week. Expect to hear a detailed breakdown of a Cyclones team that has some serious talent and is still a pick'em against the Tigers, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Will Clemson be focused on finishing the season strong or on all the changes inside the program?
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