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The biggest question for the Clemson Tigers entering the 2024 college football season is can they return to past glory. The program finished last season with its fewest wins and matched its worst Atlantic Coast Conference record since 2010. Eight regular season wins was below the squads projected total leaving many wondering if the Dabo Swinney affect has worn off. Before we go that far keep in mind that the Tigers ended the year with nine wins and with a number of returning players it might be too early to talk about the program’s demise. And oddsmakers at BetMGM aren’t about to throw in the towel yet giving the Tigers a projected win total of 9.5.
Regular Season Wins for the Clemson Tigers
Over 9.5 ( +140 )
Under 9.5 ( -165 )
When winning eight regular season games and capturing a bowl victory is considered a down year you know the program has high expectations. The Tigers fell below their 2023 win total of 10 by posting their fewest wins since 2010, which was Swinney’s second full year at the helm. In each of the next 12 seasons Clemson won at least 10 games and reached the College Football Playoff four times in five years winning two national championships. It’s hard to imagine the Tigers not competing for an ACC title and a spot in the expanded playoff in 2024.
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Roster
Their run of double-digit win seasons was spearheaded by spectacular quarterback play starting with Tajh Boyd in the early 2010s and followed by Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. They also had outstanding players at other skill positions leading to what was one of the most potent offenses in college football during that span. Maybe D.J. Uiagalelei couldn’t handle the pressure of directing the offense or maybe he wasn’t as good as expected. Either way, it was his failure to lead the offense that led to a change with Cade Klubnick taking over in late 2022.
A highly-coveted recruit, Klubnick was for too inconsistent last year, though there’s no denying he has the talent to be a top signal-caller. He threw for 2,844 yards completing nearly 64 percent of his throws, but he had just 19 touchdowns against nine interceptions. And as a result the Tigers ranked 61st nationally in pass offense with 228.4 yards per game. There were some underlying reasons why; the offensive line struggled in protection and the group of pass catchers as a whole was weaker than what we’ve seen.
The explosiveness we expected to see last year under new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley never materialized, though things could be different in 2024 with a season under his direction. And having Phil Mafah in the backfield should alleviate some of the pressure. Mafah rushed for nearly 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns last season and is expected to be the workhorse with inexperience behind him.
The Tigers benefitted from continuity among the coaching staff until longtime defensive coordinator Brett Venables left for Oklahoma. The defense didn’t skip a beat under Wes Goodwin, though, and should be strong again. Last year, the Tigers ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense and against the pass. They also forced the most turnovers in college football.
A number of players drafted to the NFL need to be replaced but there is plenty of experience. The group also benefitted from the decisions of linebacker Barrett Carter and safety R.J. Mickens to return for another year. The group also scored big with the signing of LB Sammy Brown, the highest ranked recruit at his position in program history.
Schedule
Like the CFB odds suggest cashing the OVER on this futures bet is going to be tough. Based on last season’s rankings, Clemson has the 26th most difficult schedule starting with the opener against the Georgia Bulldogs and including a road matchup with last year’s ACC champion Florida State. The non-conference portion of the slate also includes games with dangerous Appalachian State and South Carolina. Outside of the tilt with FSU, the conference schedule looks favorable giving the Tigers a path to 10 wins. Louisville, NC State and Virginia Tech are on the second tier of contenders. They get the Cards and Pack at home, though, lightening the load.
Prediction
If the offense irons out some of the kinks that held them back last year the Tigers could dominate the ACC. The opener against Georgia will tell us a lot, but there is plenty of football after that. Besides the two big games on the schedule Clemson will likely be favored in all others. They’ll also be more balanced and I expect more consistent with the football. They likely won’t have the takeaways they did a season ago and if there is a weakness on defense it’s in the secondary so they could be susceptible to the pass. Even then I think 10 wins is a definite possibility.
Check out the latest college football odds at BetMGM
