5 Bold Predictions for the 2021 Season

The Clemson Tigers just wrapped up the 2020 football season, but it is never too early to start looking ahead to the 2021 season. So that is exactly what we do.

Stadiums will be at full capacity: I know that this is contingent on the slowing and halting of COVID-19 (wear a damn mask so this can happen), but fully expect for stadiums to return to their normal, raucous environment that we had become used to—unless you attend FSU, in which case the quiet stadium is better than a library for reading epic novels in the stands. 

While they may start off at limited capacity, after a year in which the most feared thing about traveling to an opponents stadium was the fear of paper cuts from the cardboard cutouts, believe that they will return to full capacity, again bringing true home-field advantages

DJ Uiagalelei will break the single-season passing yardage record: In 2016, Watson set the Clemson record for most passing yards in a season with 4,593 yards and the record for touchdown passes with 41. However, at least one of those records will fall in 2021.

The 'Throwin' Samoan' (as he was called by a media member during the 2020 season) or 'Big Cinco' will shatter the passing yardage record set by Watson. With an arm that can only be described as a special and a healthy corps of receivers–highlighted by the return of Justyn Ross—Uiagalelei will put up scary numbers through the air.

The Tigers will win a seventh straight ACC Championship (and a national title): Clemson picked up their sixth straight ACC Championship and, by virtue of that win, a sixth straight trip to the Playoff. However, the Tigers were unable to keep their run of even yeared national title wins under Dabo Swinney going, as they were crushed by Ohio State in the semifinal.

This season, the Tigers will again beat up on a Coastal Division opponent on their way to a seventh straight title and CFP berth—one difference, the 2021 team will win the entire thing.

With a healthy offense, a more mature defense and (a bonus bold prediction) James Skalski completing an entire game, the Tigers will be on a mission that will end with them hoisting the trophy in Indy in January 2022.

Clemson will beat Georgia like a drum in the opener: Georgia may have bigger issues than facing the Tigers in the opening game, as it appears some recruiting shenanigans have been afoot in Athens (shocking, I know). And it appears that after the NCAA drops the hammer on the Tennessee Vols, who should be allowed to cheat, pay recruits or anything else they can think of to at least become relevant again, they have their eyes set on Georgia.

This distraction, combined with the fact that the Tigers are simply the better team—even with the loss of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne—on the offensive side of the ball than the Bulldogs. And defensively... 

The defense will be elite (again): The Clemson defense experienced one of its worst seasons under Brent Venables. The Tigers finished the season giving up 20.2 points per game, 112 yards rushing per game, 41st in pass defense—giving up more than 214.2 yards per game and 326.8 yards per game (15th in the nation).

While those numbers are OK, they are not the elite numbers that fans are used to. With many of the issues being injury-related, having a healthy defense and a full spring and summer to hit the weight room and playbook, look for Venables defense to again return to the elite, championship-caliber that has had offensive coordinators wetting themselves for years.