Clemson improvement directly tied to Lawrence’s performance

Clemson is the measuring stick in college football today.

Ask Alabama.

The former standard bearer, the Crimson Tide are still an elite team but lost to Clemson and LSU in 2019 and failed to make the College Football Playoffs.

After Alabama stopped Clemson cold in a 24-6 victory in the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Semifinal in 2018, Dabo Swinney did some soul-searching. For that matter, so did Nick Saban.

Kelly Bryant passed for just 124 yards and suffered a pair of interceptions in the semifinal game.

Winning quarterback Jalen Hurts did pass for a pair of scores but threw for just 120 yards, hardly imposing or impressive.

Two weeks later, Hurts found himself on the bench as Saban made the switch to Tua Tagovailoa at halftime with Alabama struggling on offense and trailing 13-0.

It was a bold move by a bold coach.

That is a championship move by a championship coach.

Tagovailoa rallied the Crimson Tide, passing for 166 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Devonta Smith in overtime in a 26-23 victory to win it all.

Then, Saban chose Tagovailoa to be his starter in the 2018 season over Hurts, despite the fact that Hurts had an impressive 26-2 record as a starter.

After the loss in the semifinal in 2018, Swinney gave Bryant a chance to start tine 2018 season. After four games, Swinney made the bold move to go with Lawrence, despite Bryant being 16-2 as a starter.

You know the rest of the story.

Clemson has not lost a game since the move was made and has another national championship to its credit. Lawrence is 25-0 as a starter.

In 2019, Clemson played a light schedule. That is not debatable. It is also not a slight to the Tigers, who remain the champion and team to beat, until proven otherwise.

Perhaps the Tigers struggled to overcome a host of graduations and players going to the NFL after winning last year’s national championship but Clemson was not all that impressive early this season.

Neither was Lawrence.

Despite rolling to a 5-0 record, Clemson was ordinary in a 24-10 win at home over Texas A&M. The Tigers barely escaped an upset, edging North Carolina 21-20.

Through the first three games of the season, Lawrence had five touchdown passes and four interceptions.

Clemson was flying below radar.

All of the preseason hype for Lawrence as a Heisman Trophy winner waned.

Then, Lawrence found his game.

Then, Clemson found its game.

Lawrence has not been intercepted in his last seven games while throwing for 22 touchdowns while completing 72 percent of his passes.

In the process, Clemson began looking the part of an elite team, a championship team, once again.

Clemson blasted a good Louisville team 45-10 before bashing another bowl team in Boston College 59-7. The Tigers blitzed another bowl team in Wake Forest 52-3. Then, Clemson took apart state rival South Carolina 38-3, the same South Carolina team that upset Georgia earlier in the season.

Virginia looked like a very good team a very competitive loss to Florida in the Orange Bowl. Clemson ripped the Cavaliers 62-17.

Then, of course, the Tigers rallied from 16-0 deficit to overcome Ohio State 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal contest.

Sure, the Buckeyes did not benefit from calls. Yes, Ohio State looked to have the more impressive overall individual talent.

Clemson had Lawrence, who rose up after being decked in the first half by Shaun Wade, who was ejected. Lawrence proceeded to take the Buckeyes apart when it mattered most.

Like LSU, Clemson is a dangerous Tiger.

Clemson is a very confident team and why not when you have won 29 straight games?

The Tigers believe in themselves. They have an elite quarterback. There is a talented, huge wide receiver and an elite running back from Louisiana. Its defense has played better as the season has progressed. The 23 points scored by Ohio State were a season-high. Clemson has an elite, highly respected defensive coordinator. The South Carolina Tiger entry has an emotionally attached coach whom his players love.

That sounds a lot like a Tiger team from Louisiana.