Preview and Prediction: Clemson vs. Iowa State
Clemson will attempt to close its resilient 2021 campaign on a winning note on Wednesday, Dec. 29, when the Tigers face the Iowa State Cyclones in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl. Kickoff at Camping World Stadium is set for 5:45 p.m. ET.
Clemson enters the contest at 9-3 and in search of its 10th win of the 2021 season. A win would give Clemson 11 consecutive 10-win seasons, placing the Tigers alongside Florida State (14 from 1987-2000) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21) as the only programs ever to reach double-digit wins in 11 straight seasons.
Clemson's shot at another 10-win season was salvaged by a committed Tiger team that overcame adversity by going on a 7-1 run after a 2-2 start through September. Entering October, 28 different Power Five teams including Clemson had two or more losses. Of that group, only Utah (10-3) and Clemson (9-3) rebounded to enter bowl season with at least nine wins.
The Cheez-It Bowl will be Clemson's first bowl game in Orlando since 2014, and the circumstances come with a multitude of historical parallels. That year, Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris left to become the head coach at SMU in advance of Clemson's Russell Athletic Bowl date with Oklahoma. Clemson promoted Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott into co-offensive coordinator roles and hired Brandon Streeter as its quarterbacks coach, and the group led a masterful performance in a dominating 40-6 win against the Sooners.
This year, following the departures of Elliott and Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables for head coaching jobs at Virginia and Oklahoma, respectively, the bowl game in Orlando will represent the coordinator debuts of Streeter (offensive coordinator), Wes Goodwin (defensive coordinator) and Mickey Conn (co-defensive coordinator).
The game will feature two head coaches with immense mutual respect. In the spring of 2019, Dabo Swinney tabbed Iowa State's Matt Campbell to be a keynote presenter at Clemson's high school coaching clinic. “You are always searching for people in our profession that are doing it the right way and they’re leading from the heart," Campbell said. "What I saw when I got to Clemson and the kindness and the care and the love and the passion that [Swinney] led with and continues to lead with, I think that was a huge eye-opening experience of, 'Man, you can lead a football program the right way.'"
What to watch for:
- Clemson attempting to win 10 games for a schoolrecord 11th consecutive season. Clemson would become only the third program in history ever to post 11 consecutive 10-win seasons, joining Florida State (14 from 1987-2000) and Alabama (14 from 2008- 21). Clemson would be the first school to win 10 games in 11 straight seasons as a member of the ACC, as only the final nine of Florida State's 14-straight 10-win seasons came during the Seminoles' tenure in the ACC.
- Clemson attempting to win 10 games in a season in which it started 2-2 or worse for the second time in school history, joining the 2014 Tigers that rebounded from a 2-2 start through four games (and a 1-2 start through three games) to finish 10-3 with a bowl win in Orlando. Beyond the 2014 team, the only other Clemson team to reach even nine wins after starting .500 or worse through four games was its 2009 team, which started 2-2 and finished 9-5.
- Clemson attempting to improve to 3-1 all-time in the Cheez-It Bowl across the game's various monikers. Clemson lost to Texas Tech in the Tangerine Bowl in 2002 but defeated Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl in 2005 and beat Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl in 2014.
- Clemson facing Iowa State for the first time in school history.
- Clemson facing its 107th different opponent in program history. Clemson is 64-38-4 all-time in its first meeting with its 106 existing opponents, including a 15-1 mark in first meetings since 2003.
Predictions:
Brad Senkiw: With no opt-outs, Clemson appears to be motivated to play and get to 10 wins. There are a ton of young players with something to prove, and if the Tigers can get the run game going but also hit a couple of big pass plays to keep Iowa State on its toes, Clemson could win handily, even though health is an issue. If Breece Hall was playing for the Cyclones, this might be a different outcome, but the Tiger defense just won't give up enough points to keep Clemson from reaching its goal.
Clemson 23, Iowa State 17
Zach Lentz: Clemson has appeared to be incredibly loose this entire week. In fact, one official told us that they are having the most fun he has seen. Does that mean they are going to win? No. But it does provide a context for the mood of this team. But ultimately it comes down to playing the game. While the defense is still as good as ever, the offense is who they are--and they have not faced a defense like this one since the opening week of the season. Brock Purdy does just enough to get the job done,
Iowa State 17, Clemson 13
Jason Priester: This Clemson team has appeared awfully loose as the Tigers attempt to win their 10th game for an 11th consecutive season. On paper, these two teams match up fairly even. However, this is still a very beat-up Clemson team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Iowa State also runs a defensive scheme that features a three-man front, something the Tigers have struggled against. This one might just come down to which team gets the better quarterback play. Purdy is extremely experienced and DJ Uiagalelei is nowhere near healthy.
Iowa State 16 Clemson 13
Will Vandervort:
Iowa State 13, Clemson 10
