Rock bottom. That’s where Clemson was when they came out of their open date last season and lost to Miami and then turned around and lost to NC State the next week. The Tigers were 4-4 and playing ugly football on the offensive side of the ball. With Notre Dame looming, it was only going to get worse.
It didn’t, though. Whether it was the infamous Tyler from Spartanburg call, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney challenging the team, or a player-led culture refusing to fold, the Tigers upset Notre Dame and then beat the four remaining lesser teams on the schedule to end the year with a five-game winning streak.