3 reasons Clemson fans can still breathe easy

SYRACUSE, NY - OCTOBER 13: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers congratulates Kelly Bryant #2 after a scoring drive during the first quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on October 13, 2017 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

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CLEMSON, SC – NOVEMBER 12: Chris Blewitt #12 of the Pittsburgh Panthers reacts with teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on November 12, 2016 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Tyler Smith/Getty Images) /

2. They’ve dealt with this adversity before

Remember when the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers lost to Pitt at home? It’s easy to forget, even though Pitt fans will never let you. While this speed bump happened a lot earlier in the season, Clemson knows how to keep its composure following a conference loss. They may drop out of the top four this week, but what matters is the Week 14 rankings, not the Week 8 ones.

The best way to ease concerns is to look at how the other playoff contenders who have lost have fared so far. Ohio State hasn’t missed a step since losing to Oklahoma – in fact, they look even more dangerous than ever. USC followed up their loss to Washington State with a pounding of Oregon State. And while we haven’t seen Oklahoma play since losing to Iowa State, nobody’s counting them out of the Big 12 race.

Granted, none of those teams have faced elite competition, but games like this are proof that anything can happen. You’ve got to take care of whichever opponent’s in front of you, and there’s no reason Clemson can’t do the same.

Upsets like these can serve two functions. It can expose a team’s weaknesses, leading to further losses down the road. Or it can serve as a wake-up call, since they know the only acceptable outcome is to run the table. Thanks to Dabo, Clemson is now a Playoff or bust program, so expect this loss to serve as the latter.

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