Clemson is Undefeated and a Likely Playoff Candidate, But They Kind of Suck

A year after nearly knocking off Alabama in the National Championship, this was supposed to be Clemson's season for revenge. The Tigers returned most of a great offense, including star quarterback Deshaun Watson, and they had more talent than just about anyone else in the ACC.

But so far, the results have been mixed. Clemson is undefeated and ranked fourth in the country. However, Clemson looks like by far the worst team in the top five. So far this year, the Tigers have:

• Nearly lost to NC State. In fact, they should have lost to NC State. The Wolfpack missed a potential game-winning chip shot field goal as time expired.
• Barely held off Louisville. That's a good resume-boosting win, but the Cardinals would likely be favored on a neutral field.
• Beat Auburn and Troy by six points apiece.
• Won four games by one touchdown or less—games that are generally considered toss-ups.

While Alabama, Michigan, and Washington are demolishing everything in their path, and while Ohio State is building a resume on impressive road wins, Clemson is limping toward the finish line. That said, it's unlikely the Tigers are going to lose in the regular season. They still play Florida State, but their toughest test, Louisville, is already behind them. They have an easier ride to a conference title than either Big Ten team currently in the top five, and possibly an easier path than Alabama. Clemson doesn't have to be great to make the Playoff.

But with an undefeated ACC champion clearly not getting left out of the Playoff, the similarities to the 2014 Florida State team are getting more clear by the week.

You remember that team, led by Jameis Winston, that won the last BCS National Championship. With much of the same supporting cast, including Winston, the Seminoles lucked out in one-score games to reach the inaugural Playoff undefeated. Despite their record, they were ranked third in the Playoff rankings, because they didn't look good getting there.

And then, once they had to play a top team away from home, they got walloped, losing 59-20 to Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Of course, Clemson is not necessarily doomed to the same path, but the Tigers should heed FSU's warning. At some point, shoddy defense and mistake-prone offense—like the one that had three red zone turnovers against NC State on Saturday—aren't symptoms of a team in a funk; they're the identity of the team.

There's time to get back on course, but this isn't the Clemson team we expected to see avenge its title game loss. And despite sitting at fourth in the rankings, the Tigers have looked significantly worse than the rest of the elite class of college football.