Entering the 2023 football season, optimism reigned supreme. Clemson had fallen short of the 2022 four-team playoff but rebounded enough to upgrade from the Cheez-It Bowl to the Orange Bowl. Late-season losses to South Carolina and Tennessee left everyone feeling less-than-satisfied, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s bold move to bring in Garrett Riley following the 11-win 2022 campaign showed he wasn’t satisfied. Additionally, the switch from DJ Uiagalelei to Cade Klubnik brought loads of excitement.
I was admittedly a believer. I predicted Clemson to improve on their 10-2 regular season in 2022 by going 11-1 in 2023.