Clemson beats South Carolina, finds winning formula too late in 2021

It might be too little too late for Clemson football in 2021 but the Tigers finished the regular season strong at any rate after a win over South Carolina.

Earlier this season, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum basically said that Clemson football‘s dynasty was dead.

Finebaum may be right in the end, but after a strong close to the 2021 regular season, which included an impressive win over South Carolina Saturday, the words look premature.

The Tigers need to find a quarterback — that much is clear. D.J. Uiagalelei has struggled all year and the weakness of Clemson football at quarterback has made the Tigers feel like a team with one hand tied behind its back all season.

Dabo Swinney needs to rectify that. But there is no shortage of options available, especially nowadays with the transfer portal — Spencer Rattler anyone?

But the way the Tigers are playing defense and running the football should scare whoever has to play the Tigers in a bowl game. It’s not going to be a New Year’s Six game, even though the Tigers are trending towards the top 20 after beating a South Carolina team that’s going bowling.

Will Shipley, Kobe Pace, and the Clemson football running game starred in the win over Wake Forest, and in the Palmetto Bowl, the Tigers relied on the ground game again.

Shipley set the tone with a 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Then Pace, who had 191 yards against the Demon Deacons a week ago, busted off a 34-yard run to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead at halftime.

From there, Clemson wouldn’t look back, putting the game in the hands of its defense, which delivered yet another win over South Carolina.

Clemson football might be ACC’s best team

Unlike Florida and Auburn, two other teams lost at South Carolina as favorites, the Tigers weren’t going to overlook South Carolina and suffocated the Gamecocks with old-fashioned, physical football.

It’s too bad that college football doesn’t have a 16-team playoff because Clemson at 9-3 would have an argument to be included and right now, there’s not a lot of teams that would want to see Clemson football in that format.

The defense is dominating and the run game is cranked up. If Dabo finds a quarterback, Clemson could easily get back to the top of the ACC in 2022.

Heck, if things had worked out, the Tigers could have been there in 2021, which should sting for Clemson fans who have to feel like they have the ACC’s best team right now.