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Clemson football faced an uphill battle to make its seventh College Football Playoff but rode some fortunate circumstances and late-game magic to claim its spot as the ACC champion. The Tigers may boast the second-most appearances in CFP history, but given the school’s four-year absence from the tournament, they had a lot to prove in their first-round matchup.
Though Clemson’s season ended with a 38-24 defeat against Texas, the performance affirmed Dabo Swinney’s program as a national contender. It also revealed the Tigers’ path back to elite status.
The Tigers started and finished the game strong, scoring a touchdown on their first drive and cutting a 21-point lead to just seven points early in the fourth quarter. They also had two chances to get back into the game late, most notably a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 7:24 left in the fourth quarter. That late turnover on downs killed the last of the “team of destiny” energy the Tigers the matchup.
When Clemson kept Texas out of the end zone for the entire third quarter and cut the lead to 31-24, it was worth wondering whether Cade Klubnik — who arguably saved the season with a game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter at Pitt — could tap into the clutch gene once again. Klubnik was exceptional, but ultimately the entire team effort fell just short of where Clemson needed to be to match a true contender like Texas.
Even with the disappointing finish, the Tigers justified their appearance in the CFP — even if it required some extremely unlikely events to go in the Tigers’ favor.
So how do the Tigers go from worthy CFP participant to true national title contender? They took a step in that direction earlier this week with a pair of high-profile transfer portal…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/clemsons-performance-vs-texas-justifies-cfp-appearance-reveals-programs-path-back-to-elite-status/
Author : Chip Patterson
Publish date : 2024-12-22 03:51:00
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