Clemson Football: Five keys to victory against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers

Expectations need to be reset

Some observers were surprised to hear players talking about national championships during talking season. We were even more surprised to hear Coach Swinney embrace such expectations.

The Tigers had never looked that far ahead before. They had always taken a one-step-at-a-time approach to stay focused and not get carried away with expectations.

Swinney and his coaches were in the best position to know how to push this team’s buttons. I don’t blame them for changing their philosophy if they thought that was the right call to make. It was simply the most tremendous backfire ever.

The talk about national championships has made this team look silly. Now the staff has to re-establish a realistic mindset about what this team can achieve in 2023.

Everything is still in front of them. They have hurt their chances to advance to the ACC championship game, but stranger things have happened.

Clemson will need help, but that shouldn’t be their concern. Their focus needs to be on the task at hand: the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The only important game is the next game.

Clemson needs to handle Clemson’s business and let all the other cards fall where they may. If it’s meant to be, it will work out.

The coaches and team leaders need to install these reset expectations to keep the players pointed in the right direction.