The 2021 Clemson football season is just a week away from kickoff and the Tigers are once again looking for a year that ends with them in the CFB Playoff.
Clemson comes into 2021 holding a streak of six-straight CFB Playoff appearances and the Tigers have also won six-straight ACC Championships.
Now, as 2021 approaches, there are questions from many national analysts who are beginning to think the Tigers are ‘fading.’
As we look ahead to this fall, here are 10 things that will define the 2021 season for the Clemson Tigers.
The 2021 Clemson football season will be defined by these things
1. The outcome of the Georgia game
In retrospect, the Georgia game may not mean much. No one is saying that the Tigers can’t achieve their goals if they don’t beat the Bulldogs and no one is saying by any means that the season is over if they lose the opener.
That being said, the outcome of this game will shape the discussions about Clemson for basically the entirety of the season.
If the Tigers win and then take care of business the rest of the way, they’re going to be talked about as one of the top contenders for the National Title. If they lose, we’re going to hear about how they’re a fraud and even if they finish 12-1 with a conference title, there are going to be doubters who say they only got to the CFB Playoff because they’re in the ACC.
This game is a chance for Clemson to end that narrative right off the bat.
In the end, Clemson can accomplish all of its goals despite losing to Georgia but you’ve got believe the outcome of this game will at least, in a little way, define this 2021 season.