How Clemson’s ‘windshield mentality’ — and some timely upsets — put the Tigers in prime position for a playoff spot

The good thing about getting blown off the field in your first game of the season is, at least you’ve found your floor. When your opponent stomps you by a factor of 10 — even if that opponent is the University of Georgia — well, there’s only one direction to go from there.

Just look at Clemson now. Forgotten Clemson, mocked Clemson, dismissed Clemson, ground into orange paste by the Dawgs in that season debut, has now run off four straight wins. Thanks to a highly favorable schedule, plus the snake pit that is the SEC, Clemson, 4-1 and undefeated in the ACC, is in prime position for a College Football Playoff berth. After two recent faceplants — 4-7 through seven games in 2021, 4-4 through eight games in 2023 — Clemson is holding it together in-conference so far, and that’s made all the difference.

Coming into the season, last week’s Clemson-Florida State showdown was supposed to be one of the ACC’s marquee games of the year. The Noles killed that by self-destructing, and Clemson took care of business, 29-13. As a result, the remaining slate for Clemson is like Interstate 85 without speed traps, a wide-open route to Charlotte and the ACC championship. The only currently ranked team still on the Tigers’ schedule is No. 22 Pitt. Clemson wouldn’t meet either conference leader Miami or dark horse (sorry) SMU until a hypothetical ACC title game.

Not only that, last week’s sudden upsets across the college football landscape open the door a little wider for Clemson. If you’re comparing quality losses, falling to then-top-ranked Georgia in Week 1 is preferable to falling to an unranked team later in the season.

Plus, it’s a stark reminder that there are no gimmes in college football, not anymore. Yes, Clemson has a 15-game winning streak against Wake Forest dating back to 2009, but as last weekend showed, you’re one week from a potentially wrecked season.

“College football did us a favor,” Swinney said earlier this week. “This is a week where, if you pay attention to what people say on the outside, well, they’re going to be saying, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to go win.’ This ain’t a game of ‘supposed to.’ This is a game of what you do. It’s a game of performance.”

The flip side of an easy path to the ACC title game, of course, is that Clemson has no margin for error. Alabama can survive a loss to Vanderbilt, Tennessee can survive a loss to Arkansas. But Clemson, with its feathery-soft schedule, won’t get a mulligan for a loss to Wake, Virginia Tech or the Citadel. A loss in the ACC championship game and a 10-2 record would probably be enough to get in. A loss before then? Enjoy a bowl game, Tigers.

Also complicating matters for Clemson: Both Miami and SMU also have relatively easy schedules from here on out, meaning — in theory — all three could be undefeated in conference play at the end of the season.

Right now, Clemson sits in the upper middle of the ACC in major offensive categories –fifth in yards per game, sixth in passing yards per game, third in rushing yards per game. Defensively, the Tigers run toward the lower middle of the conference, statistically. On the plus side, though, take out the 3-point game against Georgia, and Clemson would rank No. 1 in points scored per game … so far.

Right now, ESPN’s College Football Power Index puts Clemson’s chances of making the College Football Playoff at 37.2 percent. That’s second-best in the ACC behind Miami, but 14th overall, right between Iowa State and Texas A&M. Not ideal … but the teams above Clemson have a much more difficult road ahead.

And speaking of roads … Swinney is trying to get the Tigers to espouse a “windshield mentality” — that is, looking only at the road in front of you, not the rear-view mirror. It’s coachspeak, yes, but coachspeak with a purpose.

“Coming off a really good win on the road, we’re just 4-1,” Swinney said. “We ain’t done nothing. We’re just 4-1. That’s it. All we’ve done is create some opportunity for ourself, but we’ve got a long way to go.”

That’s true. But the way’s a whole lot shorter now than when Clemson was getting dog-walked by Georgia back in August.