Like Death, Taxes, You Can Count on National Media Saying Clemson Does Not Belong

In the preseason, all we heard, from just about everyone, is that NC State and Wake Forest were serious contenders for the ACC’s Atlantic Division Championship. And it was true.

If Clemson wanted to improve on its “disappointing” 10-3 season from 2021, they would have to knock off these two veteran teams that have two of the best and most experienced quarterbacks in college football.

Clemson took care of business.

It was not pretty at Wake Forest, as Sam Hartman and his gifted wide receivers diced up a depleted Tigers’ secondary. But the offense came to play and DJ Uiagalelei matched Hartman score for score on the way to a double-overtime victory over what is now a top-10 team.

The next week, Clemson hosted Devin Leary—the media’s pick for ACC Player of the Year—and the Wolfpack. All the Tigers did was harass Leary all night and dominate the lines of scrimmage in a 10-point victory over what was then a top-10 NC State squad.

Clemson (8-0, 6-0 ACC) has since had other challenges. Florida State, who is much improved, gave the Tigers everything they had down in Tallahassee, again with a veteran quarterback running the show in Jordan Travis.

Syracuse, who came into Death Valley 6-0 and ranked 14th, was picked by some to upset Clemson. And the Orange nearly did thanks to four Clemson turnovers. Syracuse also had a veteran quarterback in Garrett Shrader.

But the Tigers, despite giving up a 90-yard scoop-and-score and those four turnovers, rallied with their backup quarterback to take down another challenger.

You might think, having one of the more difficult early-season schedules in the country, playing eight straight weeks without a bye and four of those being on the road, that Clemson would have as much respect as anyone in college football this season. However, that is not the case.

Though everyone has respected the play of Wake Forest, NC State and Syracuse, they do not respect Clemson for beating them, which has me scratching my head.

In all three instances, Clemson was said to be on “upset alert.” In all three instances, there were members of the national media that picked Clemson to lose.

Yet, Clemson won all three games, and they won all three in different ways. In the case of the Syracuse game, a team that turns the football over four times loses nearly 99 percent of the time. Throw a non-offensive touchdown into the equation and it is like 99.9 percent of the time.

But the Tigers found a way to win like they did against Wake Forest and NC State. Sure, it was not always pretty but they won, and they beat good teams.

But the narrative is Clemson is not any good, and despite being the only 8-0 team in the country right now, national pundits are taking their shots.

I don't know. Nothing I saw today screamed top four. https://t.co/9ZThxrl383
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 22, 2022

I have written this column before through the years, but it has never been this bad.

Remember there were those that did not want Clemson to be in the College Football Playoff because Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence were throwing interceptions. Who judges a team off a quarterback throwing interceptions, especially when they are still winning games, and in most cases winning by double digits?

No one before, that I can remember, or no one since has been scrutinized for such.

Despite the fact, Clemson was winning and in Lawrence’s case the Tigers were winning by almost 30 points, the national media was dogging Clemson.

It was so bad in 2019, Clemson beat North Carolina, 21-20, and those who supposedly cover college football kept writing and saying Clemson should not get in the playoff because they had a loss to North Carolina. Yes, this happened on several occasions.

So, the disrespect Clemson is getting now is not anything new.

Meanwhile, while Clemson is being hammered for not playing anyone and barely beating teams like Wake Forest, NC State and Syracuse—three teams that are still ranked, keep in mind—Ohio State is out there being called the greatest team of all time.

Based on what? Talent?

I have Ohio State No. 1 in spite of crap schedule b/c they are 1 of the most consistently dominant teams, scoring at least 49 points vs. Big Ten competition. Only team in FBS that has scored on 100% of its red zone drives. And CJ Stroud makes NFL throws scouts should drool over.
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 24, 2022

The Buckeyes are talented, do not get me wrong, but who have they played with a pulse? No one. The Big Ten is not tough. The Big Ten, like most years, is overrated.

Plus, of their seven games to this point, six have been played in Columbus. The one road game was at Michigan State, which by the way is a horrible team.

So, I know nothing about Ohio State as a team. The Buckeyes have not faced much adversity other than trailing Notre Dame 14-10 midway through the third quarter in Columbus. That’s it.

Everyone else in the top 10 has faced current-ranked opponents or had one or two challenging road games. In Clemson’s case, it is the only team in the country to beat three teams that are currently in the Associated Press Top 25.

Yet, few even mention Ohio State’s weak schedule.

I understand that, thank you, but I would pick Ohio State to beat Clemson today. And NC State. And Wake Forest. And Syracuse. By a lot more. https://t.co/bCGAw6zSq6
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 26, 2022

In 2019, Clemson was being crucified every week despite the fact they beat 12 of the 13 teams through the ACC Championship Game by 14 or more points and 11 of those wins were by 31 or more points.

I am not faulting Ohio State, you play who is in front of you and if you take care of business then that is fine. However, if you are going to dog Clemson for playing a weak schedule in 2019, then you have to stay consistent. The Buckeyes should be under the same microscope Clemson was under, but that has not been the case.

Then there is Joel Klatt who tweeted Clemson would not finish better than third in the SEC East or the Big Ten East.

Does anyone think @ClemsonFB could actually win either division in the SEC or the B1G East? Do you think they could finish better than 3rd in the SEC East or B1G East?

I don't either!
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) October 24, 2022

Really?! Why would Klatt even write that, what is his opinion based on?

I think Clemson has done enough in the past to not warrant a tweet like that one. The Clemson Football Program deserves more respect than that. He would never say something like that about Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan or even Notre Dame.

Why attack Clemson? I do not get it.

The national media’s hate for Clemson, and that is what it is, goes all the way back to the Frank Howard days when Howard’s teams won and played in Orange Bowls and Sugar Bowls and all of those big-time events.

They hated on the Tigers then. They hated on the Tigers in the Danny Ford era, and they are hating on them again in the Dabo Swinney era. I guess “Little Ole Clemson” is not supposed to play and beat the big boys, but they have in the past, and the present and they will continue to do it in the future.

I will give the national media credit for something, though. At least they are consistent. Like death and taxes, you can count on the national media saying Clemson does not belong.

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