Clemson football fans understandably concerned, also need reality check

Many Clemson football fans are understandably concerned after barely surviving UNC Saturday afternoon, but they also may need a reality check.

Many Clemson football fans were frustrated, disappointed and concerned following the Tigers’ 21-20 victory over North Carolina Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers trailed for the entire game until a little more than nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. After they finally got the lead, the defense- which had been solid all day- allowed the Tar Heels to go on a 16-play drive that resulted in a touchdown with just a little over a minute remaining in the game.

Mack Brown elected to go for two and chose to run the option with freshman QB Sam Howell. The Clemson football defense got good penetration and came away with a stop, sealing a win for the Tigers.

After winning the game, the Clemson football team celebrated as it does every week, but some Tiger fans weren’t having it.

Replying to the Tweet, many Clemson football fans decided to tell the team that they should focus less on dancing and more on film study.

Let me start by saying: It’s completely understandable to be frustrated and disappointed. The Tigers played their worst game we’ve seen in quite some time. They almost lost to a team that got beat by Appalachian State last week.

It’s understandable, but the more I think about it, the more I think Clemson football fans need a reality check.

You just saw the Tigers play their absolute worst. They couldn’t get anything going for the majority of the day offensively. The defense couldn’t stop running backs and allowed some big plays. UNC held the momentum for most of the day. Every opportunity Clemson had to take the crowd out of the game, they couldn’t take advantage.

And they still won.

The value of having a game in the “Win” column seems to have become lost by this fan base. Clemson just won its 20th straight game.

Let me repeat that: 20 straight.

Who cares if the Tigers aren’t ranked No. 1 in the polls next week? Who cares what SEC or opposing fan bases have to say about the game? The Tigers came away with a win.

At some point, this fan base needs to start appreciating the wins. It wasn’t that long ago we were begging for Clemson football to come away with wins and to be placed in this situation.

The Tigers are still one of the top teams in the country. All of their goals are still on the table. The College Football Playoff is still attainable. That’s what matters.

Was it pretty? No. Was it ideal? No. Is there plenty to work on? Absolutely.

We’re going to talk about that going forward, but Clemson football fans also need a bit of a reality check. Don’t be a fan telling players not to celebrate finding a way to win a game when nothing was going their way. They know they need to improve.

The coaching staff will take care of getting things corrected in the film room and over the bye week. I expect this team to look very different when we see them take on Florida State two weeks from now.

Perhaps this was exactly what the team needed to increase their focus for the remainder of this season.