National analyst on Clemson: ‘There's no definitive proof that they've fallen off’

247Sports college football analyst Josh Pate says Dabo Swinney has earned the benefit of the doubt to show how he can evolve among the top programs in college football this year.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Tue Apr 09 11:02:29 GMT-04:00 2024

Clemson football has been ranked Top 10 preseason each campaign since 2016, a streak that could be in danger after three consecutive campaigns finishing out of that tier.

247Sports analyst Josh Pate answered at least his perception on if Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are a Top 10 program overall with a No. 10 ranking recently.

"I think it's important to use the same scale here. By the Clemson scale, it feels like this program has ‘fallen off’ so to speak a lot more than they actually have,” Pate said. “So by the Clemson scale, you ought to be right in the thick of the national championship conversation every year, and they haven't necessarily been that the last couple of years. That's not the worst thing in the world. In the storm-chasing world, sometimes we have a tornadic supercell. It's already got a history of producing and then it has to cycle...Well, Clemson, maybe they're just backbuilding. Maybe they're just cycling. There's no definitive proof that they've fallen off. And by the way, fallen off is a first-world term here.

“It's why I'm talking about scale. If you use the same scale for Clemson as you do for everyone else, they're still winning a lot of games. I'm not putting them in the Top 5, by the way. So don't argue with me that they're overrated if you're going to...I do have them ahead of a Tennessee or a Utah because the results have been comparable, and I still think there's a lot to say for the stability there. I think there's a lot to say for the culture there.”

Pate did address the critiques on Clemson's lack of transfer portal usage, however.

“Now, I think a lot of people have opinions on their talent acquisition strategy and how resistant they've been to really embracing the transfer portal," Pate said. "We've talked about that a lot on the show. Difference is Dabo Swinney isn't a rookie head coach. Might he be stubborn on this front? Might he be really entrenched in his ways? Yeah, but at least there's a proven philosophy there. And so, if he's going to fail, it really will just be because they didn't evolve with the game, but I'm always going to give guys with proven track records benefit of the doubt. It wouldn't be the first time that the sport has sort of left a philosophy behind or passed a philosophy by. But it's also well within his right to continue to evolve, too.

“And just because they've had a 9-10 win season the last couple years, I don't start etching dates in their headstone. I'm not quite there yet. I have them well down -- imagine a few years ago saying they're barely in the Top 10 of college football programs. Again, it's a very first-world slight to throw at someone. They could elevate as well. We'll see. Hearing some good things about a certain freshman receiver over there, Cade Klubnik offense this year -- Garrett Riley second year as the coordinator, we'll see."

Pate’s complete Top 10 is Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame, LSU, Florida State and Clemson.

Before a three-year swoon, Clemson made the College Football Playoff and won the ACC each season from 2015-20, a run that included two national titles and four national championship game appearances. This season features the first 12-team CFP field and a virtual guarantee of a playoff spot to the ACC champion (the Top 5 conference champions make the field and the Top 4 make up seeds 1-4).