5 Storylines for Clemson Heading into Open Date
No. 5 Clemson improved to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in ACC play while staying put in the AP Top 25 this week following a 27-21 win over No. 16 Syracuse.
The Tigers get an open date this week and begin getting ready for Notre Dame.
Here are five storylines to consider during the downtime for Clemson football:
1. QB controversy: This will be the main storyline for the next two weeks. No matter how much Dabo Swinney, Brandon Streeter and Cade Klubnik shot it down, the status of Clemson's starting quarterback will be questioned. Benching DJ Uiagalelei in the third quarter when down 11 points lend itself to scrutiny. When Clemson takes the field at Notre Dame on Nov. 5, will Uiagalelei be the first guy out? Of course. But that won't stop plenty of people from asking if he should be after a bad Week 8 performance. Bottom line: DJU was bad last week, but he wasn't bad the other seven wins. Now, however, Clemson knows it has another option in Klubnik if needed.
2. Rest up: Every team in college football looks forward to the off week in terms of health. Even guys who haven't missed considerable time are happy to rest their bodies and gear up for the final push. Clemson has gotten healthy over the last couple of weeks, and this is a great time to make sure those players get the conditioning they need the next two weeks to be full-go during what Swinney calls the "championship phase" of Tiger football. Bryan Bresee, Sheridan Jones and several others have missed significant time this season, so they can now play catch-up without having to prepare for a Saturday opponent.
3. Assess areas: Yes, Clemson is 8-0. No, Clemson is not perfect. There are areas to improve on and shore up heading into the final month of the regular season. Uiagalelei has to get back on track. The passing game has taken a step back in the last two weeks. No wide receiver has had a play go for 20+ yards in the last seven quarters, and only two players at the position have caught passes in the last two games. The offensive line is a continual work in progress as freshman Blake Miller needs to cut down on the penalties and missed blocks. The defense is finally showing signs of improvement after a few questionable games, but it can improve its communication and schemes under first-year DC Wes Goodwin.
4. Irish prep: The next game is a big one. The Tigers play in South Bend, Indiana, at one of the most historic stadiums in college football. Notre Dame isn't having a great season as the Irish has lost three games, including two it was favored to win, and the offense is ranked 77th in total yards per game. But this is a top-30 defense that Clemson can't take lightly. Getting extra time to prepare and break down the Irish's strengths and weaknesses is a huge plus for the Tigers. The Clemson players and coaches can go ahead and look ahead to the Nov. 5 showdown with a Notre Dame team that has to play at Syracuse this week.
5. National conversation: For college football analysts, Clemson is a tough nut to crack. On one hand, the Tigers might not look like one of the more dominant teams like Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee or Michigan. But the other, this team is undefeated with three wins over top-15 teams. This is the last week of games before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released on Nov. 1, so expect to hear and see a lot of top-4 evaluations and where the Tigers fit in. Some of that discussion won't matter much right now. Clemson just has to keep on winning, and if it does, it could be impossible to deny the Tigers a shot at the playoff.
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