On Saturday, Clemson football’s season came to an end with a tough road loss to the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the college football playoffs. The Tigers fought hard throughout the game, staying competitive against Texas longer than any other road team in the first round, but ultimately fell 38-24, sending them into the offseason.
Clemson’s defense had been inconsistent throughout the season, and after the game, speculation arose about whether head coach Dabo Swinney might consider making personnel changes, including possibly replacing defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin, in an effort to improve the team’s performance.
However, Swinney downplayed, if not outright denied, these rumors after the game, according to Alex Turri of USA Today’s Clemson Wire.
“We’re not concerned about any of that stuff,” Swinney stated. “We had a great year, we won the championship. We need to improve in all areas. We’ve got a great staff, and all those guys work really hard and well together.”
The championship Swinney referred to was the ACC Championship, which Clemson won in a thrilling fashion against SMU, earning them a spot in the playoffs.
Where does Clemson go from here?
It’s difficult to make a blanket statement about the 2024 Clemson football season that fully captures what the team was and wasn’t. There were some rough patches, including the season-opening loss to the Georgia Bulldogs and the team’s collapse down the stretch against SMU.
Yet, Clemson also demonstrated resilience in their game against Texas, despite being outmatched in terms of talent. Additionally, the Tigers showed impressive composure by taking a 7-0 lead on the road.
