Clemson football 2019 season preview: Best and worst-case scenario

If all goes according to plan for Dabo Swinney and Trevor Lawrence, the Clemson Tigers are poised to repeat as national champions.

At the start of the 2018 season, the Clemson Tigers had two starting quarterbacks, and as the saying goes, if you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none. Dabo Swinney pulled the trigger and settled on Trevor Lawrence over true senior, and incumbent, Kelly Bryant. Bryant decided to transfer, leaving the job for Lawrence who took the job and didn’t look back. The offense averaged more than 40 points per game.

The Tigers defense flourished behind a dominating defensive line en route to the third-best defense by S&P+ metrics. The team didn’t fail the eye test either, putting together some incredible highlight-reel plays on offense and making quarterbacks look silly on defense. It was the best-case scenario start-to-finish as Clemson won its second title in three years, dolling out arguably the worst loss in Nick Saban’s career.

The 2019 Clemson Tigers are primed to repeat. The offense returns three of its offensive line starters, some of the most talented skill players in the country, and a Heisman favorite at quarterback.

The big question mark for Clemson is on defense, as they are replacing their starting defensive line and a lot of talent at the linebacker position. Still, the secondary lost only one player to the draft (Trayvon Mullen). If the young-but-talented defensive line is up to speed quickly, it will be another long season for the ACC.

With all of that in mind, Alabama remains the Vegas favorites to win the championship this year. Let’s take a look at the best and worst-case scenarios for Clemson’s 2019 season.

Clemson football best-case scenario

• Aug. 29 – vs. Georgia Tech – W
• Sept. 7 – vs. Texas A&M – W
• Sept. 14 – at Syracuse – W
• Sept. 21 – vs. Charlotte – W
• Sept. 28 – at UNC – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. Florida State – W
• Oct. 19 – at Louisville – W
• Oct. 26 – Boston College – W
• Nov. 2 – vs. Wofford – W
• Nov. 9 – at NC State – W
• Nov. 16 – vs. Wake Forest – W
• Nov. 30 – at South Carolina – W

Record: 11-0, playing in the ACC

We saw the best-case scenario play out last season for the Tigers. Expect 2019 to be more of the same. Lawrence continues to blossom into one of the best quarterbacks in the nation while growing as a leader and distributing the ball to his great weapons from Travis Etienne at running back to wide receivers Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers.

A mostly brand new defense comes together quickly under the tutelage of the under-employed but very well-paid Brent Venables. Lawrence’s passing yards are limited only by being pulled early, as Etienne and company run wild. Lawrence wins the Heisman and a slew of other offensive personnel are finalists and winners for post-season awards.

Clemson football worst-case scenario

• Aug. 29 – vs. Georgia Tech – W
• Sept. 7 – vs. Texas A&M – L
• Sept. 14 – at Syracuse – L
• Sept. 21 – vs. Charlotte – W
• Sept. 28 – at UNC – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. Florida State – W
• Oct. 19 – at Louisville – W
• Oct. 26 – Boston College – W
• Nov. 2 – vs. Wofford – W
• Nov. 9 – at NC State – W
• Nov. 16 – vs. Wake Forest – W
• Nov. 30 – at South Carolina – W

Record: 10-2 (8-1 ACC)

Clemson has the name recognition and the talent to overcome an early-season loss to a Texas A&M team that takes a giant leap forward under Jimbo Fisher. Although they did not win much away from home, the Aggies pull off an upset in Death Valley. Still reeling, the Tigers travel to a feisty Syracuse who has been as competitive as anyone outside of Alabama vs. Clemson in recent years. To Clemson, Syracuse is a co-worker that microwaves seafood in the break room. It might not be every day, but every so often, they nuke leftover salmon and ruin your lunch.

The rebuilt defense never fully gels, and that hurts the team in the eyes of the playoff committee.

A two-loss Clemson team still runs the ACC, narrowly missing out on the Playoff while securing a spot in the Orange Bowl. A season that, five years ago, would have been a success ends up a disappointment for the 2019 squad.