Flaw of averages
Clemson may be unbeaten, but Tigers far from perfect
CLEMSON found a way to win on Saturday, rallied from a 14-point deficit despite four turnovers and a quarterback change, and prevailed even though its two quarterbacks completed only 15 passes.
If you’re an orange pom-pom waiver, that was the story of the afternoon in Death Valley, the Tigers surviving and advancing, remaining one of six undefeated power-conference teams in the country by squeezing past Syracuse, 27-21. But this was an alarming performance.
Simply put, the Tigers didn’t look like an elite team. They didn’t resemble anything close to Ohio State or the big three in the SEC of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, or even of the ilk of Michigan, TCU and Oregon.
The defense was up and down, even if it responded well in the second half. Quarterback
DJ Uiagalelei couldn’t handle the pressure of a quality defense and committed three turnovers before being lifted for freshman Cade Klubnik. This move came on the heels of coach Dabo Swinney taking victory laps this week, mocking reporters for doubting Uiagalelei, calling the early-season calls for Klubnik “embarrassing.”
Syracuse lost this game more than Clemson won it. It committed bonehead penalty after bonehead penalty, it was on the wrong end of some questionable calls — the officials swallowed their whistle on a clear roughing-the-passer penalty that continued the Tigers’ momentum — it iced its own star, limiting standout running back Sean Tucker to 10 touches, and coach Dino Babers handcuffed his team by allowing 25 seconds of the clock in the final two minutes to elapse before using his final timeout.
Clemson’s résumé is as thin as Swinney’s confidence in Uiagalelei was Saturday, even if he ended any thoughts of a controversy afterward by saying the enigmatic junior remains his quarterback. The Tigers allowed 45 points in their most impressive victory at Wake Forest. They barely survived three-loss Florida State and won’t face another ranked opponent the rest of the season. Mediocre Notre Dame is the lone hurdle before the ACC Championship game.
If Clemson does indeed win out, and it will be heavily favored to do so, it’s hard to see the Tigers not getting into the playoff. Their brand remains strong and it’s unlikely an undefeated team from the ACC will be left out in favor of a one-loss team, even if that team passes the eye test in ways Clemson does not.
But ask yourself this: Does Clemson even flirt with an undefeated record if it plays in the
SEC, Big Ten or even the Big 12 or Pac-12? Does this team look like it can beat Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama or Tennessee? Trust your eyes. Saturday offered a clearcut answer that Clemson is not among the nation’s best.
LSU looming
Brian Kelly didn’t forget how to coach after all. Yes, LSU started slow, losing the season opener to Florida State and falling into deep early deficits against Mississippi State and Auburn. But Kelly has weathered that storm well, rallying the Tigers to wins in those two games, and has gotten the most out of Arizona State transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels.
After Saturday’s impressive 45-20 blitzing of Ole Miss that was keyed by Daniels’ five touchdowns and 369 all-purpose yards, LSU remarkably controls its own destiny in the SEC West. It will enter next week’s showdown in Baton Rouge against Alabama tied with the Crimson Tide atop the powerhouse division. Kelly’s first season, projected to be mediocre by LSU standards — the Tigers were picked fifth in the SEC West — all of a sudden has a chance to be memorable. Miami meltdown
If I had to pick one of the big programs from the Sunshine State to break though back in
September, it would’ve been Miami. This is why I’m at the bottom of The Post’s college bettor’s guide. The Hurricanes are the worst of the big three, and Florida and Florida State are hardly contenders.
Miami has dropped four of five under new coach Mario Cristobal following its ugly 45-21 loss to Duke in which it committed a ghastly eight turnovers. Maybe Cristobal should bring back the Turnover Chain, a large gold chain worn by players after producing a turnover that he got rid of upon taking over. The status
quo isn’t working.
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