I remember being nervous about Clemson Football going into the 2017 season. A lot of talent had left for the NFL. Most people expected there to be a step back for the program, but it ended up being a tiny step. The 2017 team finished as the 1-seed in the College Football Playoff.
After that offseason, there didn’t seem to be any reason to doubt the Tigers in the preseason, regardless of the situation. Even when the season fell short of the ultimate goal, there was optimism they could get back.
Even when Trevor Lawrence left for the NFL, there was this 5-star kid who threw for the third-most yards in a single game ever for Clemson, on the road in front of Touchdown Jesus no less.