College Football Expert Is Buying Into the Clemson Tigers

Clemson's recent offensive explosion is getting recognition from national analysts.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) waves to the crowd after running in for a touchdown against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

After getting dismantled against Georgia in their season opener, Clemson has looked like a completely different football team.

There were rightful worries about their performance against the former top-ranked Bulldogs, especially after the season they had in 2023, but those struggles look to be past the Tigers.

It'll take a bit more for them to get the recognition they deserve, and rightfully so, too, as they need to prove to the college football world that they can compete with some of the top teams in the nation.

But Clemson isn't as far away as many people think they are. ESPN's Greg McElroy is one of the analysts taking note of what Clemson has done, giving them credit for their bounce back performances.

“Well, yes, Clemson did not look good in their first game against Georgia in the second half. That’s an important caveat, because everyone looks at the final score and they say, ‘Oh, Georgia won the game by 31 points.’ Totally accurate, that happened. I won’t push back on that. I called the game. I saw it with my own two eyes."

He later went on to say that Clemson's offense was stagnant. Whether it was because they weren't showing trust in Cade Klubnik or the offense simply wasn't good enough, he's been impressed with what they've done since.

“You’re going to have to create chunk yardage,” McElroy said, according to On3. “And guess what? After Week 1, Clemson went back to the drawing board, and they said, ‘Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. We are now going to start taking shots. Like, who cares? If we go down, we’re going down swinging...' “Well, you know what’s happened the last couple weeks? It happens against Appalachian State. You’re like, ‘Oh, it’s Appalachian State.’ It happens against N.C. State, you’re like, ‘Alright, hang on a second.’ Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

McElroy's comments are more than fair.

Sure, Clemson lost to a Georgia team that has a chance to win a national championship. However, nearly every ranked opponent in the country would've put up that same type of performance outside a handful of teams.

Their offense has been the best in the country since, scoring 66 points against Appalachian State, 59 against North Carolina State, and 40 against Stanford in their recent win.

Things don't necessarily get tough for Clemson moving forward, either, as they'll take on Florida State in Week 5.

Florida State is still Florida State at the end of the day, despite how poorly they've played, but it's tough to find a game coming up for Clemson that they shouldn't win.

If they continue to shine offensively, the Tigers might be a College Football Playoff team.

McElroy understands that.