Clemson Tigers Offense Will Dictate Playoff Chances

A college football analyst believes offensive factors will determine how legitimate of contenders the Clemson Tigers are in 2024.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) reacts after Clemson running back Peyton Streko (23) ran in a touchdown during the Spring football game in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, April 6, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

With just over a month until the Clemson Tigers kick off their 2024 season against the Georgia Bulldogs, evaluations for the upcoming campaign have begun.

Entering the year, the Tigers are one of the handful of teams many analysts believe can contend for a national championship.

Clemson is right around No. 15 when it comes to their odds to win the title. That will fluctuate during the season, especially if the opener has an unexpected outcome.

ESPN writer Bill Connelly put together a piece highlighting the ifs that will determine how successful a program is this season. The Tigers came in under the "five ifs" tier of his piece.

There is going to be a lot of focus on the offense, as that could be what ultimately determines how many wins they have this season. Cade Klubnik will be key in turning things around as the team’s starting quarterback.

“Garrett Riley's first season as Clemson offensive coordinator was ... familiar: The Tigers were reasonably efficient and almost totally lacking in explosiveness. Cade Klubnik averaged 9.8 yards per completion. After averaging a 50.0 ranking in offensive SP+ over 2021 and 2022, they ranked 51st in 2023. Not even remotely good enough,” Connelly wrote.

Dabo Swinney is certainly going to need more out of his offense in 2024 to climb back to the mountaintop. Pushing the ball downfield a little more will open things up for the run game, as opponents weren’t threatened downfield.

Because of their methodical style of play, Clemson left themselves open for more mistakes. The more plays that are run, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong.

As Connelly notes, that was a big issue in 2023. 

“Without big plays, you need more plays to score. That means more opportunities to make a mistake. Clemson committed 22 turnovers (108th) and scored TDs on just 57% of its red zone trips (94th),” he wrote.

Turning the ball over puts the defense at a disadvantage. Pressure is put on them to play perfectly when points are left on the field as often as they were last season with inefficient red zone performances.

In football, games are won in the trenches. A game plan can be perfect, but if the offensive line cannot block the defensive line, even all-time greats will struggle to produce.

In 2023, the offensive line was underwhelming for the Tigers, but there is a chance they improve vastly in 2024 as continuity and experience will be their biggest asset.

“The fact that nine offensive linemen started at least two games tells a story. The Tigers ranked 97th in total blown block rate, 66th in O-line penalties per game and 69th in stuff rate. There were too many negative plays for an efficiency-reliant offense. Seven of last year's nine linemen return. Clemson has to make this a good thing,” wrote Connelly.

There isn’t much margin for error for Clemson on the offensive side of the ball. A little more wiggle room would be created if the offensive line could get on track and maul opponents at the line of scrimmage.

That could buy Klubnik the time he needs to work through his progressions and find players downfield more often.

Something has to give in 2024, as the recent form the program has shown on offense is not good enough to win a championship.