Tigers Embracing the Target on Their Back

The target on the back of the Clemson Tigers football team has seemingly been growing over each of the last five seasons

The target on the back of the Clemson Tigers football team has seemingly been growing over each of the last six seasons.

Even though every team on the 2020 schedule has the game circled, highlighted or in bold print, the Tigers are not focused on the target on them. Instead, they are embracing the target.

"We're not trying to create a thought in your mind that may not already exist, but again, here we understand how big the target is on our back, but the mentality here is to embrace the target so we don't tell them about pressure," offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. "We understand that, that the rankings, and it's that time of year where everyone's going to be talking, and that's for everybody else to be talking. We understand and we know what the formula is for success."

That formula can be summed up in one of head coach Dabo Swinney's many sayings: "Last year's touchdowns don't win this year's game."

It is that mentality, an insistent harping from the coaches that the Tigers have accomplished exactly nothing in 2020, that leads to a desire to go out each and every year and prove themselves on the field.

"It goes back to starting over," Elliott said. "We haven't done anything (this year). We've got to start over. We're going to get what we earn, and what we earn is what we put on the field, so we don't talk about pressure. We focus on being the best version of ourselves and that transpires into being the best team, so ultimately we just focus on being the best version of ourselves."

Part of the focus on their own team comes from a period of self-scouting during the offseason.

Many people may be shocked that there was not just one area where the Tigers' offense needs to improve from last season, but many areas, which is surprising seeing as the Tigers posted one of the best offensive seasons in school history in 2019.

"We had some guys and some young guys in positions, so situational in football, we've always got to improve," Elliott said. "Short yardage is something that we always look at. You know, red zone — obviously, we were decent in the red zone from a percentage standpoint, but there was still some things we could do better in the red zone. Now we understand that everybody's looking at us, everybody's gunning us, so just our overall technique we've got to continue to improve at every single position.

"Then again, just kind of exciting going into (this year) because all, not all new pieces, but kind of pieces in different spots, we've got to figure out where they best fit."