The Clemson Tigers defeated Louisville 42-36 to take a commanding lead in the ACC Atlantic race. The victory also moves the Tigers one step closer to a return visit to the conference championship game and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff.
Although it’s only October 1, that last sentence is a very accurate assessment of where things are right now. After all, Clemson has the equivalent of a two-game lead over both Louisville and Florida State. Unless the Tigers lose twice, it’s impossible for either the Cardinals or Seminoles to overtake them.
Based on what we saw Saturday evening, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Sure, the Clemson defense gave up 568 yards, but it also sacked Lamar Jackson five times. In addition, the Tiger D also came up with the most important stop of the season, holding Louisville to a three-and-out to give Clemson the ball back with a chance to re-take the lead with just over six minutes remaining.
That’s exactly what they did. Deshaun Watson was absolutely brilliant on the final drive, connecting of 4 of 5 passes for 74 yards, including a 31-yard throw across the field to Jordan Leggett for the game-winning score.
Saturday’s win over Louisville has to make Clemson the favorite to repeat as the ACC champion. While the defense didn’t have its best outing of the year, the offense proved that it is more-than-capable of carrying the team to victory. Although it wasn’t perfect, the Tiger offense came up big when it needed to, scoring twice in the final seven minutes against a Louisville defense that entered the contest ranked in the top 15 nationally in sacks, tackles for a loss, total defense, and third down conversion defense.
This type of excellence with the game – as well as a spot in the conference and national championship – on the line speaks volumes about how good Clemson’s team truly is. Whether it was producing a three-and-out in the fourth quarter, driving the ball down the field against a top 15 defense twice in the closing minutes, or stopping college football’s most electrifying offense just one yard short of the sticks to preserve the victory, the Tigers stepped up and got the job done.
In other words, Clemson looked like the national championship contender that we all expected to see this season. Don’t be surprised if the Tigers pick up a few first-place votes in the polls this week.
