Clemson pushes back against ESPN doubters, continues dominance

ESPN College GameDay analysts — including Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Rece Davis — were quick to point out the weak 2024 schedule for the No. 10 ranked Clemson Tigers, but that hasn't stopped them from continuing their dominance.

Say what you want to about Clemson's schedule following an ugly 34-3 loss to Georgia in the season-opener, but the Tigers have turned things around and they look like a completely different team.

Despite not playing a full game this season after Georgia, Cade Klubnik ranks among the top quarterbacks in the country statistically and he has quickly ascended up the ranks as a outside Heisman candidate. Phil Mafah continues to be consistent and the Tigers have a plethora of playmakers, including Antonio Williams, Jake Briningstool, freshman Bryant Wesco, freshman T.J. Moore, and Troy Stellato.

On Saturday, Clemson continued its dominance with a 48-31 win over the Virginia Cavaliers in Death Valley, and the game wasn't even that close. After a sleepy first half, Clemson took complete control in the third quarter and they never looked back.

The Tigers are certainly not without their question marks. Can Cade Klubnik put up these kind of numbers against an elite defense? Can the Clemson defense — which has looked elite at times, and has looked lost at times — continue to improve?

Clemson now enters a bye week before finishing out its ACC play with a home game against Louisville and then two road tilts against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. There's a decent chance that both Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh will be ranked when those matchups take place, which will help bolster Clemson's schedule.

Of course, what's interesting is how ESPN is quick to point out Clemson's strength of schedule (currently 53rd), but that conveniently doesn't get brought up for other teams like Tennessee (62) and Notre Dame (55), who seem to be given passes.

The big question for the Tigers, though, is what looms potentially in December.

Clemson seems to be on a collision course with Miami for the ACC Championship. The Tigers are currently 5-0 in conference, and the Hurricanes are currently 3-0 in the ACC. There is still a lot of football left to be played, but it will be interesting to see how Clemson continues to improve and what a matchup between the Tigers and Hurricanes would look like in Charlotte in December.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter right now because there's still far too much of this season left for us to look too far ahead.