The 'Story Within the Story' on Losses to LSU and Ohio State

The Clemson Tigers last two trips to the CFP have resulted in blowout losses at the hands of LSU and Ohio State. While the fanbase may be looking for similarities in these two losses, Brent Venables sees nothing in common.

The Clemson Tigers have been humbled in each of their last two College Football Playoff appearances—first in the 2020 National Championship and then last season in the Sugar Bowl.

The losses to LSU and Ohio State were humbling, to say the least. But when asked for his feelings on whether or not there are any similarities between the two blow-out losses, defensive coordinator Brent Venables said it is not an easy task to compare the two games.

"Well, I thought we obviously in the third quarter against Ohio State...we look like the keystone cops out there tackling just a poor job of just fundamental football, and in any chance that we had. We lost it there," Venables said. "You know, I believe, but overall they to me we showed up with a completely different mindset, a total different feeling from the LSU game and Ohio State.

"And both of the losses, yeah, but there's a story within the story. You can't just paint them all with a broad brush. Win or lose, it doesn't work like that. And the LSU game, you know, total yards and all that people sometimes look at that but we came out, and just a much different mindset. And we didn't play great, you know, and help each other. But, we got after him (Joe Burrow) early in the game, created a lot of field position, and we've been really good in that situation as a football team."

The LSU loss was not entirely on the defense. The Tiger offense went one-for-18 on third downs and did not play as a complete team.

"We didn't take advantage of short fields against LSU, and we got after a month or down and really did some really good things have poor six or seven minutes in the second quarter came right back in the third quarter came back episode playing well and we lost Skalski and it was tough," Venables said. "You know, losing our leader after that but we played, always we played really well. Some things we didn't do well. But the biggest thing I don't think we complemented each other.

"You're not going to go win many games (going one-of-18), especially with the team like that is going to force you to play with great precision...all the time. So a lot of things that were different, and again a different group of guys. We lost five of the seven guys you know back seven after that (2019) year, so this is the first year for a lot of guys, and again just different, you know, our whole team is built differently.

While Venables believes that the Tigers were ready to play and had the right mindset to play in the 2020 national championship game, they were a totally different team when it came to the buzzsaw they ran into in Ohio State. 

But one thing remains the same: the Tigers will always learn from every experience.

"So, I don't like it I don't follow them up altogether, just like I don't follow up all the wins," Venables said. "You don't follow up the '16 and the '18 teams together and also we get an aberration 17. You know, every year, you learn from winning, learn from losing. And, you know, I think, losers can point to...everybody else. And I think, you know, winners are gonna... self evaluate. Whether you've been excellent. 

"I think that you always keep your guard up, you stay hungry, you stay forward-thinking, always about evolving. Nothing ever stays the same... So, other than them being a loss, and I really felt like in against LSU I thought that we were good enough to beat them on that night. It really felt like we were good enough to beat him on that night, and instead Ohio State, you know, there was nothing worth a dang."