Tigers to still play for ACC Championship
Starting the season at 8-0, the Tigers had every reason to raise their helmets. It was, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney phrased it, the highest of the highs.
After suffering its third straight loss to South Carolina for the first time since 1970, and doing so with USC winning three straight by margins of at least two touchdowns, Clemson's helmets weren't lofted high. The Tigers instead walked to their locker room with somber expressions.
For Swinney, it marked the lowest of the lows.
"We've lost three in a row, and I have to live with that," Swinney said. "We all have to live with that, starting with me. I'm going to have to live with it every day — that's for sure. I can't stand it."
Since suffering its first loss at Georgia Tech, Clemson has been a shadow of the team it started as this season. The Tigers got past Wake Forest on a game-winning field goal as time expired and then lost at N.C. State — a team playing for bowl eligibility — the following week. A once explosive offense lost its spark and became turnover-prone, having 11 against their last three opponents heading into Columbia.
"I still can't put my finger on it, and that's a dangerous thing going into the ACC title game," said tight end Dwayne Allen on what's changed for the Tigers over the past four weeks.
Though things look bleak for Clemson after the way it started the season, it still has an ACC Championship to play for on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. The Tigers have not won a conference championship since 1991.
"This one's over, and you've got to put it behind you," Swinney said. "It just makes you sick to your stomach. I mean, this is the biggest game of the year, and it's the most important game to our fans, to me and our staff, so to play like this in a rivalry game is very disappointing. It's over and we've got to move on. We've got to get ready for the next one. I'm thankful that we have the opportunity to play for a championship.
"You can't lose sight of that. With the misery that you feel right now, you can't lose sight that this football team wasn't picked to do a whole lot this year. This football team is playing for the championship again. Are we playing our best football right now? Far from it, but it's not too late to get it going."
The Tigers will look to their leaders to rekindle the confidence that Clemson had to start the year as it prepares to play a rematch with Virginia Tech, a team it defeated 23-3 this season.
"It's my job as a leader on this team to keep guys focused and really let them know that we still have goals," Allen said. "We didn't win the state championship, which is one of the championships that we wanted. We have another goal in the ACC Championship coming up next week."
The Tigers know what it feels like to be at the highest of highs, and now, the lowest of lows. They also know that the feeling could change depending on the outcome of the game next week.
"We just have to take a turn somewhere," said quarterback Tajh Boyd. "We have got to do what we can this week to find it. We've got to find it, honestly. This is one of those situations where three losses feel like 12 losses."