Dabo Swinney grinned Monday as he scolded reporters for shunning his preseason prediction that Clemson’s offensive line would be a strength this season.
“You could’ve bought low on that stock,” Swinney said.
Hard to blame the media for second guessing Swinney’s optimism, though. The Tigers saw four of last year’s starters depart this offseason, with the final holdover, Ryan Norton, succumbing to injuries in early September. By the time Clemson started playing ACC games, the Tigers had five new starters on the line, including a true freshman at left tackle. By the standards usually used for evaluating offensive lines, Clemson had reached junk bond status.