Clemson Tigers Football Team Not Being Written Off by ACC Coaches

The Clemson Tigers are still garnering a lot of respect from the coaches in the ACC.

Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) looks to pass during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. / Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers know that they are in a tough spot heading down the stretch of the 2024 college football regular season.

They no longer control their destiny when it comes to participating in the ACC Championship Game. Help is needed from other teams as the matchup will very likely be decided by tiebreakers.

The Tigers are currently in a tie for second place with the Miami Hurricanes, as each team has one loss. Ahead of them in first place is the SMU Mustangs, who are currently undefeated in the conference.

Because none of that trio faces each other, the tiebreakers are almost certainly going to come into play, unless the teams suffer more losses before the season ends.

It will be something to keep a close eye on, as all three teams are going to be scoreboard-watching the rest of the way. How do coaches in the ACC view these teams?

College football insider Heather Dinich of ESPN spoke to one who believes that the Tigers are still the cream of the crop.

"When Clemson is on, I think they're the most complete team,” the coach said.

Opinions were mixed on Dabo Swinney’s group. Usually dominant on the defensive end, their up-and-down play on that side of the ball has some coaches believing that the Hurricanes and SMU are the two best teams.

"Miami's the most talented team we've played against," one coach said, via Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. "Their offense is probably by far better than anything else we've seen."

Another coach picked the Mustangs as the best team in the ACC, saying, "SMU might be the more complete team."

What could separate the three is coaching. Swinney would give Clemson a massive edge in that regard given how much championship experience he has in his career compared to Mario Cristobal and Rhett Lashlee.

This is a race that will be going down to the wire. The Tigers are going to need some luck, but it is evident by comments made that they are still viewed in a positive light despite their hiccup a few weeks ago against the Louisville Cardinals.

Luckily for Clemson, they have an offense this season to make up for their unusually shaky defense. Quarterback Cade Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah have been putting up gaudy numbers to help keep the team on track.