Tom Allen's Clemson defense is playing with enough of an edge to pull off Miami upset

It is amazing what a difference a year can make. Tom Allen inherited a talented but disjointed defense a season ago. It was in rougher shape after Wes Goodwin was let go than anyone could have ever imagined. With a great deal of persistence, Allen's message has finally broken through. Clemson has become a defensive dynamo under his direction. He cites mental toughness as its greatest strength.

"We are a mentally tougher, physically tougher team than we were a year ago," Allen said about his defense during Tuesday afternoon's press conference. Allen is absolutely right in that assessment. Clemson seems to play with an edge on his side of the football that was missing only a season ago. There is a certain togetherness that his defense plays with that was simply not there last fall at all.

With a chance to rewrite the narrative of its season versus Miami, Allen must lean on his defense to help put the offense into more advantageous positions to succeed. Clemson is getting better at all three levels in short order. The secondary is bordering on elite, while the lowly defensive line has become less of a bottleneck of late. Clearly, Allen's return has been to the great benefit of Clemson.

Tom Allen has the defensive stars to go toe-to-toe with Miami in Week 5

With the emergence of players like Jeremiah Alexander and Elliot Washington II, Allen has more wiggle room to deploy his star defensive players as he chooses. Clemson's defense is now much more than Ashton Hampton in the back end, Will Heldt coming off the edge, and Sammy Brown in the middle of everything. The more weapons Allen can use, the better chance he has at shocking Miami.

Although it will take his best-coached game since arriving on Clemson's campus, Allen has set the Tigers up for success by believing in them. In turn, his defense now believes in itself. This is such a powerful trait Clemson can utilize. Not only are the Tigers rapidly improving on the defensive side of the ball, but they have answered the call every time adversity has reared its ugly head on this team.

In short, Clemson has become quite comfortable being uncomfortable. Given that Miami has not been challenged by anyone in its first four games, that gives Clemson a huge advantage in that department. When the going gets tough, Clemson's defense gets going, providing the entire team the lift it needs. Mario Cristobal is aware of this, knowing that Clemson is stronger in the second half.

While pulling off the huge home upset will not be easy, there are more factors in Clemson's favor than the betting public will want to admit. It is a home game for a surging Clemson team. It will be at night in Death Valley. Miami has a bad habit of dropping games it should not under Cristobal in league play. Above all else, Clemson might have the defense that could honestly challenge Miami's elite offense.

We won't know until toe meets leather, but Clemson gaining confidence is only a bad thing for Miami.

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