New Year, Same Holiday Tradition for Clemson
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For Clemson football fans, it seems like an eternity since they weren’t a part of the national title conversation. After wrapping up a fourth consecutive ACC Championship 42-10 over Pitt, the Tigers found themselves back in the playoff with Notre Dame, the last hurdle before their third shot at a national title the past four seasons.
Clemson is currently preparing for the Fighting Irish ahead of next Saturday’s matchup in Arlington, TX at AT&T Stadium.
Notre Dame and Clemson met twice in the late 1970s, splitting the series, and didn’t meet again until October 3, 2015. On a cold, rainy night in the Death Valley, Clemson survived a late Irish 2-point conversion to escape with a 24-22 victory. Deshaun Watson was responsible for 177 total yards and three touchdowns leading the offense to a critical win en route to an undefeated regular season.
Fast forward three years and the Tigers have been ranked in the Top 7, every week since knocking off the Irish that wet October evening. That win was a catalyst to Clemson’s recent run of success, and now the two teams meet up again, this time with a trip to the national championship on the line.
The Irish should present Clemson with their toughest challenge this season as Notre Dame rolls in undefeated as well, after completing a 12-0 regular season.
One of the two teams will go home with their first and only loss of the year, coming up just shy of a visit to the title game. The other team will earn a chance to become legendary.
The key to Notre Dame’s run to the playoff began when quarterback Ian Book was given the keys to the offense. Book replaced Brandon Wimbush in mid-September, and the Fighting Irish haven’t looked back. Dabo Swinney reminded us last week that keeping Book locked in the pocket while putting constant pressure on him throughout the game is important.
“He’s slippery. He’s got a very good arm. The ball comes out fast. A lot of quick game, a lot of short passing game, a lot of screens.”
Notre Dame and Clemson have faced several common opponents, and in some respects, the results have been very similar.
| Opponent | Clemson | Notre Dame |
| Wake Forest | 63-3 | 56-27 |
| Florida State | 59-10 | 42-13 |
| Syracuse | 27-23 | 36-3 |
| Pitt | 42-10 | 19-14 |
| Total Points | 191-46 | 153-57 |
| Average Score | 48-12 | 38-14 |
Watching the tape on Notre Dame, skill players Miles Boykin and Michael Young are home run threats and will present Clemson’s secondary with another tough challenge. After seeing Jake Bentley carve up the Tigers for 510 yards and five touchdowns, there is certainly reason for concern.
Neither team can afford to give up big home run plays, but for the Fighting Irish, those types of plays would go a long way as we expect Clemson’s defense to win the line of scrimmage forcing Book to look downfield to find success. If Notre Dame moves the ball well early, look for Brent Venables to make second-half adjustments to throw the Irish off rhythm.
For Clemson, Travis Etienne’s ability to rush the football could be a real advantage in the game. If the sophomore back gets into the open field, he has the speed to run away from defenders, but the scariest part is that he’s fresh.
“Having a break is really good. I’ve been able to relax and get everything back in order,” Etienne said. “Little bumps and bruises, just being able to recover a bit.
One additional advantage for Clemson is their College Football Playoff experience. Heading into their fourth straight playoff appearance, the Tigers should be more accustomed to the routines involved in this experience. The number of cameras, media, and events are much larger than what most teams have ever seen, but in fairness to the Irish, Notre Dame is often treated like The Beatles, giving them a level of popularity when they travel that few teams ever achieve. That can’t, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
It also should be noted that Trevor Lawrence is just a freshman and all of this will be new to him, but the Cartersville, GA prospect sounded ready when we spoke to him earlier this week.
“I’m excited about the experience. How hard we’ve worked to get to this point. Every game is big, but at this point, there is a little extra to it. Being in the playoff is what we’ve worked for all season.”
Since 2015, the postseason has been a little bit sweeter for Clemson fans and being a part of the playoff has quickly become a holiday tradition in Tiger Town.
As you begin to gather with family and friends over the next few days, give thanks for what you have and relish in the run of success that the Tigers have given us all recently. At this point, it’s starting to feel normal seeing Clemson as a title contender. While it may still feel a bit surreal, it also appears that this is becoming one of those holiday traditions that will be around for many years to come.