[Music] the Clemson Tigers went 9 and4 in 2023 and for the overwhelming majority of college football programs particularly FBS programs that's not a bad year I mean that's some something you say okay hey building got something for the future but that's not the case when you have been to the mountain toop multiple times as the Clemson Tigers have been under daos Sweeny you go need to go no further than Tyler from Spartanburg to hear the displeasure that was uh that was going throughout the Clemson fan base as we talk about where the Clemson Tigers are right now hello everyone I'm bla Gilmer welcome into the cfbp pod.com show joined by my friends Donovan white Dave schum and Brendan Moore as we are breaking down a little bit about the season but really going bold here and telling you bold prediction s kind of put a definitive Mark early on uh we don't really have to worry I would say hey let's see what happens after the the next portal period but that's not something we have to worry about with Clemson they don't utilize it okay it's not really a portal type program uh but Dabo Sweeney and Company did uh build pretty well got a got a nice recruiting class coming in with some young cats and now they will be listen most Vegas odds and things like that have have Clemson being favored in the in the ACC excuse me even with what FSU did last year so guys let's get right into it and I'll start with you Brendan you know first of all tell us before you tell the Bold prediction I mean how would you say the the the offseason momentum is that a is that a downer is that status quo what how do you feel things are just as the state of the program as you study Clemson and then tell us your bold prediction for 2024 I think it's pretty status quo compared to like last off seon I mean we know that they're not going to use the transfer portal Dabo that is uh so that's not really a surprise that they haven't dipped in there yet uh the bull win I thought kind of covered up some things there's some good vibes heading into kind of Spring ball which is coming up here this week Clemson star and Spring ball so and I think a solid recruiting class especially with TJ Moore which it's my bold prediction TJ Moore I think is going to be a freshman All-American Clemson they've had a lot uh deficiencies in the explosive passing game the wide receiv receiver position has not been what it used to be I mean think of those national championship teams they were absolutely stacked at wide receiver yes they also had a better quarterback you know Thea Watson Trevor Lawrence Etc but uh the wide receiver position I think can really improve with TJ Mo I think he's going to get a lot of reps this season because you have Bo Collins transferring out you have two returning starters but so but and I know there's some other guys in the dep depth chart there but there's still an opening for a guy like Moore who's super talented uh I mean he caught two touchdowns in the All-American Bowl in January uh if you haven't watched that that uh that highlight reel from the All American Bowl check that out I mean moris he's an impressive athlete uh he's got a great last name so that he definitely gets bonus points for that but yeah I unfortunately no relation no he stole the athletic ability from BMA yeah he did that's it yeah so I think he's gonna have a great season for uh for true freshman I think he's going to be true freshman allamerican and really kind of bring an element to Clemson's off offense that we haven't seen in a while and he could also benefit if Antonio Williams ends up taking that next step like they think he could you know and then and then stellato there as well he's he's a more of a possession type guy that can get things done so they've got some guys but losing Bo Collins to Notre Dame as you mentioned that would be huge for TJ Moore to be able to come in and produce right away so bold prediction there for Brenan Moore is that TJ Moore is a freshman All-American Dave what do you got what's your bull prediction for Clemson in 2024 uh I think Bron said it right too I I remember watching that with the Gator Bowl they played that morning against Kentucky in a game they probably shouldn't have won I forget how many total points were scored in that fourth quarter it was something unreal but uh you could kind of see them rejoicing kind of that was kind of like a weight off their shoulder going to win that game against an SEC team I mean all but Kentucky but still it kind of just felt like man they really felt like they needed to win that one it's like ber was saying have some VI Feel Good Vibes coming into du the 24 season uh Garrett Riley second year in uh second season with Clemson being the offensive coordinator my bold prediction though I think they get it back on the track I think they get the train back on the tracks from a Clemson expectation St point I'm seeing a nine and3 photo finish at 12th 11th or 12th making the playoff spot I think they beat Florida State looking at the schedule I think they'll lose to Georgia I think they'll beat Florida State as well I think they split those games Louisville Virginia Tech I think they get one lose one and then they lose at pit I think that's their third loss they're going to have some health along the way but they'll finish off beating uh Citadel in South Carolina but when I say they need some help on the way down late I think some things are to break their way this may be the great debate kind of like Alabama Florida State last year throwing Georgia in that conversation to the fourth spot this could be that 12 spot then fighting it out with 12 13 maybe the 14th team and people kind of being like you know what we like the Clemson brand at some point would like to put them in Dao in I think they barely get it again big wins I think are going to be NC State Florida State this year but I do think uh Clemson get back to somewhat of their standard now of making the playoff all of the 12 team playoff Dave do you feel like before we get to uh Donnie ma here do you feel like that Georgia game is a crucial data point in terms of like they 12 and a half Point Underdog right now as we sit in in late February do you feel like they need to cover that one and look good doing it in order for that to not be a just total black eye or do you feel hey it's Georgia it's early in the season it's going to be inconsequential if they take care of their business later yeah I think it's a good question but I mean honestly I think speaking now and probably even through end of September it'll be fresh on people's minds but I think if they have a couple good wins at home against C State they go in the road don't allow Florida State to beat them for back-to-back years I think they go get that win at dop Campbell Stadium I think by the end of the year as long as they don't get blasted like Oregon did a couple years ago against Georgia to open up the year something like that I mean I think if it's a 14 17 point win for Georgia I think people won't hold that against now to your point I think they have to be competitive and again I think that's what you're really asking I don't think it's they have to stay within 12 and a half or what they don't make the playoffs but yeah I do think they can't go get boat race like Dan Lanning did in his first game as a college head coach at Oregon a couple years ago at the Mercedes-Benz so so I think to answer your question yes it has to be competitive I think if they do get blown out that'll be something people will hold against them I think come selection Sunday in December absolutely and uh Donovan what do you got so you got Dave here saying playoffs you got Brendan here saying uh TJ Moore is gonna be a rock star and what is your prediction there Donovan yeah I'm going the opposite way uh time to throw some Nega negativity in there for the Clems and tigers and and let me just say this everything I'm about to say like the the emotion behind it is subjective I I haven't liked you know I'm an Ohio State fan so like Clemson and Ohio State have some bad memories going State side yeah but like my reasoning is not subjective the emotion behind it is subjective but the reasoning I try to be as unbiased possible I think you you see a lot of times in college football think Notre Dame with Brian Kelly was a great example of like we hit our cap and I'm not saying dav's fired after this year I'm just saying you could see when programs hit their cap for whatever reason and and Notre Dame decided to go to Marcus Freeman and try to jump start that you could debate with Ohio State obviously it changed a little bit with Jim Trestle but you could debate even before then I was like all right you hitting your cap as a program there and I think you're starting to really see that with Clemson because they're a team that refuses to adapt to the changing world of college football dbos Sweeney thinks that his program is on some moral High Ground compared to the rest of college football and that's going to bite him because my bold prediction is that they're going to go seven and five uh and I think it's bold because I really think you could look at it and debate four games that they could lose I think Georgia is a pretty locked in one I think that Florida State NC State and Louisville just those three ranked teams are the ones like all right they could split those they go in three they could go you know three and0 you start to throw another one there maybe it's a Virginia Tech or a pit or or a South Carolina maybe I I think that Clemson's I don't like their there the specialness of their program is ran out I think you you just feel it and they've hit a wall where there's nothing to me there's nothing exciting about them as a program anymore because of where the leader of their program has taken them and I think that's on him it's a it's a shame it's not a shame it's a shame to watch a program what I think going happen go from the the Mount Rushmore they were just a couple years ago to you know Davos saying buy stock on Clemson football when they were what like six and four or something like that or or six and three it's like okay come on like guys what are we doing he's a telling you to buy low H about tell you to buy low listen uh here's the thing with in terms of before I get to M Dabo is he a guy that I if he's a guy that I would want my son to to go play for and learn under absolutely but is he a perfect human being no he's not because he's being so stubborn right now that that I do think he's he's inadvertently running this thing into the ground a certain point now hopefully for their sake they can pull the nose up I'm going to kind of split the difference here in in kind of what you guys have been saying because I think my bold prediction is is that Cade kumnick does not finish the season as Clemson starting quarterback but I don't think that's a bad thing I don't think it's necessarily going to be something where they uh they all of a sudden pull him out and then it just nose Dives I really think that a guy like Christopher vinia could give that that program a boost because I need to see some tremendous development early on in this year and you play Georgia right off the bat and if Kade clubnet has that deer in the headlights look where he doesn't seem to be able to process and know where he's going with the football and is holding on to it a long time and is inaccurate with throws and is is seeming not to be able to decipher coverages then it's not going to work for Clemson because yes Phil I think is a tremendous running back and I think he'll do a great job as rb1 for them and is a tough Runner I've watched him play all the way since uh he was a Grayson Ram back in the day here in the state of Georgia but I don't think they have just a dominant offensive line that can just absolutely just take over ball games in terms of running the football they they did used to run a lot of when they had and I think they do need to run Kade kumnick a little bit more I think he's pretty athletic I think they could get him more involved and and some of the counter tray read and some of the power read and and even some some some Zone read type stuff uh to to if you can't block them read them right that's that's that's the name of the game but when it comes down to it I just don't have the confidence you know the greatest predictor of future performance is past performance and it has not been there for Kade kumnick even going all the way back to the Tennessee start in the bowl game uh you know a couple years ago it's just not been there H for Kade kumnick and I don't think he'll finish at the quarterback but I do think once that move is finally made I think you'll see a boost and I think you'll see some of that Talent emerge around around them because listen it's just a deal Dave you know it as well as I do if you don't have that trigger man if he's not playing well it's it's not going to go right and and a guy that that kind of comes in and is hungry to play that spot it can boost you Dave no absolutely it's a I mean the quarter we all know the quarterback position not only the most important position in football it's the most important position at least in my opinion in all sports just obviously you're touching the ball every play have to have command if they don't if they don't get that right and I'm the one that's saying they're going to the playoffs if Kate kumnick doesn't play well I would probably I wouldn't probably I would tell you they don't make the playoffs well and nobody knows this better than Clemson right they because they had two generational ones in go back a little bit if you wanted to BL even going back to the Taj boy days I mean they yeah said they had a little bit of a run there where like you said they I wouldn't say lucky because he had to recruit them he got him there himself but like you had the benefit of I don't care what these coaches tell you they don't always know they'll tell you they knew but it's like yeah you kind of got a little like you didn't know all that about him too that he was kind of that dude and I think they had a couple of those dudes for three out of their four quarterback signal callers for sure uh and you know when it comes to like you said Taj boy was a great player for him DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence are just generational type talents that they just so happen to have backto back I mean so so when it comes down to it that's what you need from Clemson his better quarterback play uh and and all of these things that we've talked about today if you enjoy guys this type of content if you enjoy just talking about college football guess what that is all we do all year long nothing but college football here on the cfbp pod.com show we appreciate you tuning in do us a favor hit that subscribe button hit that like button turn on notifications and so you'll know when we go live and leave your comments let us know if you if you agree with with Dave and think they're playoff bound or if you agree with Donnie or you agree with me or Brenan whatever you think if you disagree let us know we'd love to hear in the comments and chop it up with you there so you can follow all of us you see our handles there on the on the screen for x and then also you can follow the show on X using CFB podom and guys we greatly appreciate you tuning in God bless you and we'll catch you soon to talk more Clemson football more ACC football and more college football right here on the cfbp pod.com [Music] show