Fran Brown says what no Clemson fan is really thinking about the Tigers right now

Just a quarter into the Week 4 matchup, the Clemson Tigers were trailing the Syracuse Orange by three points, and it didn't look like things would get any better as the game progressed.

Despite the lead, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown had an extremely humble answer when asked about how his team was performing.

"I think that football team we're playing is one of the best in the country," Fran Brown said. "We've gotta keep that quarterback off the field."

Brown was, of course, referring to Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was able to march the Tigers down the field for a touchdown once he finally got his hands on the ball. However, one drive later, the Tigers sent out the punting squad as he failed to earn more than two first downs.

Already in the game, Syracuse had scored a touchdown in just one drive and then pulled off a perfect onside kick to regain possession, scoring a field goal to go up 10-0 before the Tigers' offense ever held onto the ball.

People were calling for Dabo Swinney's job, Brown was hyping up the Tigers (maybe a bit too much), and Death Valley was struggling to find the motivation to continue supporting its team.

Brown's statement that Clemson was one of the best teams in the country was an undeniable stretch, the Tigers entering the game 1-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play, losing to the unranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets just last week.

Simply put, before halftime, even non-Clemson fans were saying that Swinney had "lost this team."

The season had a far-from-ideal start for the Tigers, and Swinney was at a loss for answers, even though he had finally thrown up his hands and tapped into the transfer portal. Maybe, just maybe, this was the year that Clemson needed some bigger changes in Death Valley.