Clemson football: Comparing OSU loss to West Virginia shows different mentality

Comparing the Ohio State loss to West Virginia shows a changed mentality for Clemson football

There’s a different mentality resonating within the Clemson football program as the Tigers go through their spring training compared to this time last year.

The vibe, the aura, the atmosphere and the story ‘in-between-the-lines’ is simply different as the Tigers prepare to get back on the practice and it doesn’t take much for an observer to catch on as to where the motivation is coming from.

The overall vibe coming from this program back in 2020- before the spring practice season was cut short- was one of optimism. It was almost as if the Tigers had come to grips with their blowout loss to LSU in the National Championship game and they had simply chalked it up to not being able to stand in the way of a historically-great team winning a title in their backyard.

This time, though, the lines were different.

Clemson lost in embarrassing fashion, yet again, this past January to the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 49-28 debacle in the CFB Playoff semifinals. There were no excuses this time around. There was no ‘chalking it up.’

Instead, Dabo Swinney compared to the loss to embarrassing 2012 Orange Bowl defeat against the West Virginia Mountaineers

For those that don’t remember this one- and I understand that many have probably tried to completely erase it from their memories- Clemson was derailed 70-33 in its first ever BCS Bowl appearance by the West Virginia Mountaineers. The game ultimately resulted in the firing of Kevin Steele and the hiring of Brent Venables as the new defensive coordinator.

"“We stunk, we played terrible defensively,(and) it was probably the worst defense we played since the Orange Bowl in 2011 when we got smashed there in Miami (70-33 by West Virginia),” Swinney said on Wednesday.“It is what it is, we played terrible technique, we got beat up front… we did a poor job across the board and they were just better than us. They lined up and outplayed us, kicked our tails every which way.”"

It wasn’t just Swinney who opened up about the loss to Ohio State, either.

Both Nolan Turner and James Skalski- who decided to return for their sixth year instead of moving on- talked about the motivation and the focus that team has coming off that loss.

"“There’s missed assignments and stuff. But I think the most disappointing aspect of that game is we got punched in the mouth and did nothing about it,” Skalski said via The Clemson Insider. “I think we were talented enough last year to win the whole thing. I believe that. I know we were good enough. But when it mattered most, the little things showed up. We didn’t do the little things right and we weren’t physical enough and we didn’t have that dog in us, and it showed."

Turner added that he felt like the Tigers ‘got exposed’ in the game and that they will be taking a different mindset into this season.

"“It’s definitely very humbling,” Turner said. “We got exposed, and that’s just what we’ve got to work on, and it was obvious I think to everybody that watched the game.”“We’ve got to step up. So, we’ve got guys growing up, and with this offseason we’ve got coming up, we’re going to take advantage of it. We’re going to get right.”"

There’s a different mindset and mentality coming from this Clemson football program this time around. They’re taking ownership of their mistakes. They’re using a loss as motivation and they’re wanting to come back stronger than before. That’s the sound and make of a team out to prove themselves.

With as much talent as the Tigers possess and that kind of mindset, nothing’s going to stand in their from getting another shot at winning it all when it’s all said and done.