Clemson Football

Clemson controls its own destiny in the College Football Playoff race, but head coach Dabo Swinney continues to talk about other teams and conferences leading up to the ACC Championship Game against Notre Dame.

As David M. Hale of ESPN shared, Swinney scoffed at the notion the ACC protected the Tigers and Fighting Irish by reorganizing its schedule and giving both teams open dates on Dec. 12 as they fight for CFP spots.

"If the ACC was trying to really protect Clemson and Notre Dame, why would we even play a game this week?" Swinney said in response to comments from SEC commissioner Greg Sankey suggesting the ACC was doing just that with the move. "I mean, if six wins can get you in the playoff, shouldn't nine get you there? Shouldn't 10 get you there?"  

It was also a clear shot at the fact Ohio State—which, unlike his team, is still undefeated—will play just five games during the regular season because multiple contests were canceled following COVID-19 outbreaks.

Whether criticizing the NCAA's decision to give student-athletes Election Day off to encourage civic engagement or suggesting Florida State used COVID-19 as an "excuse" to cancel its scheduled game against Clemson during a pandemic, Swinney continues to generate headlines for his off-field comments this year.

This also isn't the first time he has taken a shot at the number of games the Buckeyes have played.

During an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, he said Texas A&M and Florida were more deserving of playoff spots than the Big Ten team because they played more games. That argument lost plenty of steam, though, when the Gators lost at home to a 4-5 LSU team, giving them two losses and making the Aggies' marquee win over Florida look less impressive.

There is no minimum-game requirement to make the CFP, and Ohio State will have an undefeated resume with wins over then-No. 9 Indiana and No. 15 Northwestern if it defeats the Wildcats in Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game.

By comparison, Texas A&M failed to make the SEC Championship Game, beat a winless Vanderbilt team by five and lost to Alabama by 28 points in its only game against a team currently in the CFP Top Four.

That the SEC's Sankey made the comments critical of the ACC is notable because both conferences have at least a chance to get multiple teams in the playoff field. There is surely some politicking involved as Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, Texas A&M and even Florida, if it beats the Crimson Tide, still have a chance to make the field.

While Swinney is clearly worried about perception and where other teams stand, all he has to do to clinch a spot is defeat Notre Dame in the rematch after losing the first matchup without Trevor Lawrence.

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney suggested Friday that Texas A&M and Florida are more deserving of a spot in the College Football Playoff than an Ohio State team that plays six games.

In an interview Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Garrett Stepien of 247Sports), Swinney said teams in conferences that play close to a full slate of games (ACC, SEC, Big 12) deserve more consideration for a CFP spot than teams in conferences that play a partial schedule, such as the Big Ten and Pac-12:

"I think any time you step in between the lines in the game of football, there's a lot that can happen — a lot. I mean, heck — in 2017, we lost to a three-win or four-win Syracuse team and still went to the Playoffs. So anything can happen. Guys can get hurt. There's a lot. So I think the fact that we're gonna have 11 games as well as the SEC teams — I mean, you look at Florida and Texas A&M and Alabama. I mean, these teams are gonna have 11 games this year.

"It's incredible and I think the Big Ten had the same opportunity and they chose not to play, and I think the only reason they ended up playing is because of the leadership of the SEC and the ACC and the Big 12, and have demonstrated that we can do it and do it in a safe way. And it's been an unbelievably challenging season, that's for sure, but I think that the committee's gonna have some tough, tough, tough questions to answer and things like that, regardless of what they do."

Swinney added:

"I just think there has to be some type of standard. I just think it would be — if I was on a committee, it would be hard for me to leave out a 10-1 Texas A&M or an 11-game Florida team over a team that's played six games. That would be hard for me if I was on a committee, but I'm not on the committee. So it doesn't really matter."

Ohio State is fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings with a record of 5-0. Clemson is ahead of OSU at No. 3 with a 9-1 mark, while Texas A&M (7-1) is fifth and Florida (8-1) is sixth.

While the Buckeyes have played only five games this season, they have experienced multiple cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their game against Maryland was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Terrapins program, and the matchup with Illinois was called off thanks to an outbreak in the Ohio State program.

This week's scheduled rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan has been canceled as well since the Wolverines are dealing with positive COVID-19 cases.

Initially, the Big Ten required a team to play at least six games to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game. The conference announced this week that it was doing away with the requirement, which means OSU and Northwestern will meet in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Ohio State is the Big Ten's only hope of being represented in the CFP, which likely factored into the conference's decision.

Clemson has run into some COVID-19 issues in its own right this season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed two games after a positive test, and a scheduled game against Florida State was called off after a Clemson player tested positive.

Despite that, Clemson has played 10 games and will meet undefeated Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game next week.

The ACC, SEC and Big 12 had a greater margin for error since they started their seasons in September, while the Big Ten and Pac-12 didn't begin play until late October and early November, respectively.

Although it can be argued that Texas A&M and Florida deserve greater CFP consideration after playing close to full schedules, it is difficult to say Ohio State isn't one of the four best teams in the nation.

With quarterback Justin Fields to lead the way, the Buckeyes have a high-octane offense capable of beating anyone. It would be tough to keep them out of the CFP field if they top Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Even if OSU goes undefeated, though, one scenario could see it left out of the CFP. If Florida upsets Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, the Gators would likely push into the Top Four.

A Clemson loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game would likely drop the Tigers behind Ohio State with two losses. However, a Clemson win would leave Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Florida with one loss apiece, and they would all arguably have a better case than undefeated OSU.

There is still plenty left to be decided, but if Ohio State beats Northwestern and Alabama beats Florida, it is difficult to envision the CFP committee drops the Buckeyes outside the Top Four.

The Clemson Tigers have clinched their sixth straight appearance in the ACC Championship Game after Saturday's 45-10 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

After an easy victory over Pittsburgh last weekend in Trevor Lawrence's first game back following a COVID-19 diagnosis on Oct. 29, the Tigers wrapped up their regular season against the Hokies and are one step closer to securing a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Standing in Clemson's way will be the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the conference title game. The Irish handed the Tigers their only conference loss in the past two seasons on Nov. 7 in a 47-40 double-overtime thriller.

Despite the final score, this game was closer than expected until late in the third quarter. The game was tied at 10 in the final two minutes of the first half.

Clemson closed the game scoring 35 unanswered points. The running game made up for a rare off-day by Lawrence's passing. The Tigers racked up 238 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries.

Notable Game Stats

• Trevor Lawrence, QB (CLEM): 12-of-22, 195 yards, TD, INT; 7 carries, 41 yards, 2 TD
• Travis Etienne, RB (CLEM): 16 carries, 66 yards
• Darien Rencher, RB (CLEM): 1 carry, 50 yards, TD
• Cornell Powell, WR (CLEM): 4 receptions, 90 yards, TD
• Braxton Burmeister, QB (VT): 10-of-12, 127 yards
• Khalil Herbert, RB (VT): 21 carries, 96 yards, TD
• Raheem Blackshear, WR (VT): 4 receptions, 68 yards

Tigers Show Vulnerability in Sloppy Win

One hallmark of being a successful team is how easy it is to overlook flaws. Few programs in the country can claim to be as good as Clemson has been over the past six years.

But as this season rolls on, it's becoming harder to ignore the Tigers' issues on defense. They were most visible in the loss to Notre Dame.

Virginia Tech showed that there are ways to move the ball against Clemson. Braxton Burmeister had two big plays in the first half, including a Hail Mary pass to Raheem Blackshear on the final play that was stopped at the 1-yard line before he could get into the end zone.

Clemson didn't come into this game fully healthy on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker James Skalski and defensive end Tyler Davis didn't last long before injuries knocked them out.

With the defense trying to navigate things without two key players, Lawrence and the offense had to pick up the slack. That unit looked terrific last week against Pittsburgh with 52 points, including 38 in the first 22 minutes of game time.

Things were much more difficult for that group against Virginia Tech. Lawrence looked off for most of the game. He threw a bad interception in the end zone as the Tigers were trying to go up by 14 late in the third quarter.

Clemson's defense was able to step up two plays later. Myles Murphy forced Burmeister to fumble, which Mario Goodrich recovered at the Hokies' 12-yard line. Lawrence redeemed himself with a seven-yard touchdown run that helped put the Tigers up 24-10.

The most important thing for Clemson at this point in the season is getting the win, which it was able to do. Head coach Dabo Swinney has his team still in the mix for a conference title and another berth in the College Football Playoff.

Looking ahead to the Tigers' rematch with Notre Dame, though, they will need to play significantly better in two weeks if they want to avenge their only loss of the season to date.

Justin Fuente Needs to Figure Out QB Position

As much as Clemson's defense gave Virginia Tech openings to keep this game interesting, the offense was unable to sustain any momentum long enough to pull off an upset.

This has been an ongoing problem for head coach Justin Fuente, particularly down the stretch.

The Hokies have lost four straight games for the first time since 2018. Their last game was a 47-14 loss to Pittsburgh two weeks ago. They committed two turnovers in that game, but it resulted in only three points for the Panthers.

One week later, against a better opponent, Virginia Tech committed two turnovers in the third quarter. Both of those giveaways led to two Clemson touchdowns that turned a close game into a blowout.

A big problem for the Hokies this season has been at the quarterback position. Fuente has primarily used Hendon Hooker as his starter, but Burmeister saw extended action in three games coming into Saturday.

Hooker was given the starting nod against Clemson, but Fuente lifted him following the first series of the game after Virginia Tech gained 10 yards on five plays and punted. The junior may have been injured on that series:

Burmeister did provide a spark in the first half, leading the Hokies on a touchdown drive on his first series of the game.

After the offense managed just three points on its next six drives, Hooker was put back in at quarterback. His second snap was fumbled and returned 66 yards by Derion Kendrick for a Clemson touchdown. He was also injured on the play, forcing the Hokies to turn to third-string quarterback Knox Kadum.

One reason that Fuente has gone through a quarterback jumble at times this season is because no one has stepped up to take control of the job. Hooker has had the longest leash but hasn't done much with 1,332 passing yards and nine touchdowns in seven games entering Saturday.

Burmeister played his most complete game of the season against Clemson, but it didn't come close to being enough to get a win. Kadum saw his first college action in this game, so the jury is still out on what the freshman can do.

Fuente is in his fifth season as head coach at Virginia Tech. His best quarterback during this span was Jerod Evans in 2016. He threw for 3,552 yards and 29 touchdowns that season, prompting him to declare for the 2017 NFL draft.

Saturday's loss clinches Virginia Tech's second non-winning season in the last three years. The next step for Fuente in building this program will be finding a quarterback who can at least make the offense respectable.

What's Next?

Clemson will play No. 2 Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 19. Virginia Tech will wrap up the regular season on Dec. 12 at home against Virginia.

Good news, New York Jets fans.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence sounded like someone who is thinking about the NFL draft.

Following Saturday's 52-17 victory over Pittsburgh, Lawrence thanked those around the Tigers program and implied it was the final home game of his collegiate career. That is notable since he is not a senior and has hinted in the past that he might come back to school in 2021:

Lawrence looked ready for NFL competition in the dominant win and went 26-of-37 for 403 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions while moving Clemson one step closer to a College Football Playoff berth.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected the Jets to select Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in his most recent mock draft, which would be quite the prize for New York in a season that has seen it start 0-10.

Nothing is official until the star quarterback declares, but Jets fans have to be encouraged by his latest comments.

The third-ranked Clemson Tigers had a successful return with an impressive 52-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Memorial Stadium.

Clemson wasted no time putting this game out of reach with 31 points in the first quarter. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett threw interception on three of the team's first five offensive drives of the game. The Tigers converted each of those turnovers into touchdowns.

Saturday marked Clemson's first game since its Nov. 7 loss at Notre Dame. It was also the first appearance for Trevor Lawrence since the Tigers' 47-21 win over Syracuse on Oct. 24. The junior quarterback announced five days later that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Clemson was ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 unveiled on Tuesday.

Pitt had a chance to become bowl-eligible with a victory, but it will now have to win its regular-season finale in two weeks to finish over .500 and have a chance at playing in a postseason game.

Notable Game Stats

• Trevor Lawrence, QB (Clemson): 26-of-37, 403 yards, 2 TD; 8 carries, 9 yards
• Travis Etienne, RB (Clemson): 11 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD; 3 receptions, 20 yards
• Cornell Powell, WR (Clemson): 6 receptions, 176 yards, TD
• Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson): 10 receptions, 93 yards
• Kenny Pickett, QB (Pitt): 22-of-39, 209 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
• Vincent Davis, RB (Pitt): 5 carries, 19 yards; 2 receptions, 9 yards
• Jared Wayne, WR (Pitt): 5 receptions, 62 yards

Lawrence's Return Sparks Clemson

A lot has happened since Lawrence's last time on the field, not the least of which was Clemson's first loss of the season.

The Tigers also looked sluggish the week before the Notre Dame game before pulling things together in a 34-28 win over Boston College. It's understandable that not having their starting quarterback would make them look and play differently.

Getting Lawrence back turned out to be exactly what Clemson needed to showcase its talent and look like one of the best teams in the nation again.

Since this is Clemson's final home game of the season, the team honored its seniors. Even though Lawrence is a junior with one more year of eligibility, the school seems to be under the assumption that he will be turning pro after this year.

One proper senior who left Memorial Stadium on a high note was wide receiver Cornell Powell. He racked up 169 yards on five receptions after having 418 yards in the first seven games combined.

A Clemson team at full strength was likely to beat Pittsburgh anyway, but the level of dominance displayed right out of the gate seemed like a message being sent to the rest of the nation.

If there are any nitpicks, the Tigers offense did look sluggish after going up 38-3 in the second quarter. They went five consecutive drives without a score, including one that ended in a turnover, one with a missed field goal and three three-and-outs.

The Tigers still trail Notre Dame in the ACC standings, but they are on track to get a rematch with the Fighting Irish in the conference title game on Dec. 19. Having Lawrence available for that potential game could turn the tide as both teams chase a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Freshmen Shine in Tigers' Victory

For all of the potential hand-wringing over Lawrence going to the NFL, Clemson has gotten a glimpse of what its bright future looks like.

True freshman D.J. Uiagalelei looks like a potential superstar based on his two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame. He threw for 781 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 69.4 completion percentage.

With Uiagalelei taking a backseat now that Lawrence is back, Clemson also got to see how many of its freshman defensive players look. The results were very positive.

It's not a surprise to see the Tigers have multiple young players on their roster who can contribute right away. Head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff are among the best recruiters in the nation.

Per 247Sports composite rankings, Clemson ranked third in the final recruiting standings behind Georgia and Alabama. Uiagalelei and Trenton Simpson were two of the team's 5-star prospects in the 2020 class.

One reason that Swinney has been able to keep his team in the playoff picture for six straight seasons, including 2020, despite losing so many players every year is by recruiting high-end talent to replace them.

Saturday's win over Pittsburgh was another reminder that Clemson is well set up to be great in 2021 and beyond.

What's Next?

Pittsburgh will wrap up the 2020 regular season Dec. 10 at Georgia Tech. Clemson will travel to Lane Stadium for a matchup with Virginia Tech on Dec. 5.

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney continued to be dismissive of Florida State administrators following the postponement of a Week 12 clash between the Tigers and Seminoles for COVID-19-related reasons.

"I'm not very worried about what they say down in Tallahassee," Swinney told reporters Tuesday. "I've been here 18 years. They've had three coaches in four years. I'm not worried about advice from down in Tallahassee."

According to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Clemson had traveled to Tallahassee, Florida, ahead of the game when the program learned a Tigers player had tested positive for COVID-19.

"That player was symptomatic but had tested negative twice during the week, according to sources," Adelson wrote. "That led Florida State to say it was not comfortable playing Saturday's game, the source said."

During a conference call with reporters Sunday, Swinney lamented how Clemson spent "several hundred thousand dollars" on travel for a game that didn't happen. He added that "COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game," insinuating FSU officials didn't want to play heavily favored Clemson.

Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell defended the decision in response.

"Football coaches are not doctors," he told reporters. "Some of us might think we are, but there's a reason why medical advisers make decisions based on the information that is provided. It's unfortunate that opportunity has been delayed, but there's a reason people making those decisions have that responsibility."

Both schools appear to have been in agreement regarding the postponement. 

College football reporter Andy Wittry reported Florida State president John Thrasher wrote an email to a former faculty member and booster explaining how Clemson president James Clements "concurred with the decision." 

It's safe to say Dabo Swinney is not happy that Clemson's game against Florida State was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.

In fact, he is so upset that he dove right into conspiracy theories Sunday.

"This game was not canceled because of COVID," he told reporters. "COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game."

Swinney said Florida State's administration forfeited the game and that FSU can travel to Clemson or pay for his team's travel expenses if it wants another chance at playing the Tigers.

Swinney made a point of saying he does not blame the Florida State players or coaches and just the administration.

"I feel bad for their players, too," he said. "There's no way anybody can convince me their players didn't want to play."

Part of what made the Clemson coach so upset is apparently that his team had already traveled to play.

"We were there," he said. "We were ready. We met the standards to play. In my opinion they forfeited the game. That's $300,000 that's gone out the window."

Despite Swinney minimizing the risks of playing during a pandemic that has killed so many by implying Florida State's administration just didn't want to play his national powerhouse and was looking for an excuse, there was reportedly a very valid reason for the caution.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported that a Clemson backup offensive lineman tested positive for COVID-19. The player took the test Friday, traveled with the team and then found out about the positive test after the Tigers arrived in Tallahassee.

As a result, Florida State officials were reportedly concerned about potential spread.

As of Sunday, there have been more than 12.2 million documented cases of COVID-19 with more than 256,000 deaths in just the United States alone.

Clemson is 7-1 and scheduled to face Pittsburgh on Nov. 28. It will likely be Trevor Lawrence's return after he missed two games because of his own COVID-19 diagnosis.

The ACC announced Saturday's scheduled matchup between No. 4 Clemson and Florida State has been postponed after the teams' medical personnel were "unable to mutually agree on moving forward with the game."

The contest was set to occur Saturday at noon ET at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.

Clemson is 7-1 and was looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago, while FSU is 2-6.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported that Clemson was informed at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday that Florida State was not comfortable playing the game after one Clemson player tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported that the "potential" makeup date for Clemson vs. Florida State is Dec. 12. Thamel added that Clemson was open to playing the game Sunday or Monday, but "FSU didn't agree."

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence tweeted that Clemson was "ready to play" before the game was called off.

Per ESPN's Andrea Adelson, FSU head coach Mike Norvell released the following statement:

"Our first priority is the health of our student-athletes, and I appreciate the protocols that have been put in place by FSU and the ACC to ensure everyone's health while allowing us to play this season. It's unfortunate that we will not have the opportunity to compete today, but we hope to be able to play Clemson in December. I am thankful for the support and coordination between our administration, Clemson and the ACC office. Our team will now turn our focus to hosting Virginia next week."

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich also chimed in on Twitter, writing: "We are disappointed that we will not be able to play today's game against Florida State. Clemson has followed all of the ACC's protocol in preparation for this game. We look ahead to returning to action next week against Pitt for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day."

Neither Clemson nor Florida State had had one of their games postponed this season because of medical reasons, including COVID-19, before Saturday.

Clemson was significantly impacted by COVID-19, though, as Lawrence tested positive, which forced him to miss the Tigers' win against Boston College and loss to Notre Dame.

Freshman D.J. Uiagalelei started in place of Lawrence and played well, even though Clemson lost its first regular-season game since October 2017.

Lawrence had been cleared to play and was in line to start Saturday against FSU before the postponement.

Clemson will shift toward preparing for a home game against Pittsburgh next week, while Florida State will get ready for a home clash with Virginia.