Underdog label adds fuel to Clemson’s fire
Clemson has traveled far from the comfortable confines of Memorial Stadium. Far from the rolling hills that sculpt the campus. Far from the oak trees that are still reluctant to relinquish their withering leaves to the winter wind.
Nearly 2,000 miles away from their quiet habitat, the Tigers have ventured into a desert. Those rolling hills have been replaced by leveled terrain. Those stubborn trees have been replaced by even more resilient and more abundant cacti.
Nevertheless, in Arizona, the Tigers find familiar territory. Not simply because they closed last season in the same stadium, but, perhaps for the first time since then, the Tigers have returned to the land of the underdog.
Shortly after learning it had earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, Clemson also learned its opponent, No. 3 Ohio State, was favored to win by three points. One national publication even asked in a headline, “Can Clemson upset Ohio State?”
One might suspect Clemson would be offended by the question. One might expect the Tigers to respond with fiery arguments. One might expect players to raise their voices with disgust and raise their fists with disdain.
Junior running back Wayne Gallman raised his shoulders with a shrug.
“It’s the same thing I’ve dealt with my whole career here,” Gallman said calmly. “People have always doubted us.” Always? Clemson maintains a permanent residence in the land of the underdog. It keeps a chip on its shrugged shoulders. It exaggerates underestimation. It is driven to dismiss doubt. It thrives against skepticism, both genuine and fabricated.
Motivation does not require accuracy.
Clemson actually has been favored to win 55 of 67 games since 2012. However, the Tigers have been the underdog in each of their previous five bowl games. They notched victories against LSU and Ohio State and trounced Oklahoma in consecutive years.
The lone loss was last year’s finale at University of Phoenix Stadium. Clemson exchanged blows with Alabama in the national championship. The Crimson Tide edged the Tigers 45-40 in a thrilling and illuminating bout.
Even in defeat, Clemson muscled its way into national esteem. Quarterback Deshaun Watson extended his legend with a captivating and dauntless performance. Clemson no longer was the little engine that could. Observers outside the tiny northwest corner of South Carolina discovered the Tigers packed the same horsepower as their more popular counterparts.
With Watson and his most prolific playmakers returning to Clemson, finding doubters this season became more difficult. Fabricating the underdog role became laughable.
Watson welcomed back top targets Artavis Scott, Jordan Leggett, Ray Ray McCloud and Deon Cain. With those weapons, Wat- son amassed 4,104 passing yards and 35 touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 1,105 yards and 12 scores and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Gallman returned after rushing for a school record 1,527 yards. Clemson added star receiver Mike Williams, who suffered a neck injury on the first series of the season and missed the remainder of the year.
Clemson replaced seven starters on defense but returned a strong nucleus: middle linebacker Ben Boulware, linemen Carlos Watkins and Christian Wilkins and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. Safety Jadar Johnson also returned after redshirting the previous season with an injury.
Clemson opened at No. 2 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll. The Tigers were projected to return to the Playoff. Watson was the early Heisman favorite.
Skepticism was supplanted by the expectation of dominance.
Thus, when Clemson won its first two games by six points in- stead of 30, the Tigers’ ailments were analyzed. Their shortcomings were scrutinized. Their mistakes were magnified.
Last season, Watson’s 13 interceptions were dismissed as the occasional misfiring of an aggressive gunslinger. This year, his 15 interceptions have been accepted as recurring indicators of uninspired effort.
Some criticism was warranted. This season, a higher percentage of Watson’s turnovers were in the red zone. For the first time in his career, college or high school, one of his interceptions was returned for a touchdown.
That was during the 24-17 overtime victory against North Carolina State that could have been a 20-17 defeat in regulation. A missed 33-yard field goal attempt salvaged Clemson’s season.
The Tigers were not so fortunate three games later against Pittsburgh. A late field goal dropped Clemson 43-42. It was Clemson’s first home loss since 2013. It was the first loss to an unranked foe since 2011.
It jeopardized Clemson’s Playoff plan for a mere three days. Other top-ranked teams toppled that same weekend, and Clemson remained in the top four of the Playoff standings.
Clemson won the three ensuing games by a total of 78 points. That included a victory against rival South Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against Virginia Tech.
Last year, Clemson defeated its first 13 opponents by an average margin of 18.2 points. Even with the loss, through 13 games this season Clemson has compiled an average margin of 21.8 points.
Clemson averaged 38.2 points per game last season. This year, it has averaged 40.2. Clemson allowed 21.7 points per game last season. This year, it has allowed 18.4.
Yet through the prism of elevated expectations, Clemson has been perceived as substandard and vulnerable. Not to all. Not always. But the Tigers only need one. One doubter. One detractor. One critic. One line.
“It’s just fuel to the fire,” Gallman said.
A single slight is enough to manufacture the requisite rebuttal. That defiant edge will not count for any points, yards or tackles in Arizona, but it can inject passion into that last practice rep or intensify focus toward the mental mastery of the game plan.
Clemson is motivated “to prove them wrong,” even if they cannot exactly identify “them.”
Clemson cannot match Ohio State in championship heritage or brand reach, but a Clemson victory would not be an upset. The talent gap is so minuscule that it is immaterial.
This is a clash of two Goliaths. Yet Clemson is more likely to sling its best shot when it approaches it like David. If the stone lands like several of the ones hurled before it, the Tigers can reach more familiar territory — the national championship.
The underdogs can return to those rolling hills and stubborn trees wearing crowns.
Robertson writes for the Greenville (S.C.) News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
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