Panic meter: Clemson offensive struggles against Troy prove LSU game wasn't a fluke

It’s time to start smashing the panic button on the Clemson Tigers. A loss to LSU was acceptable. But struggling against Troy the following week at home? That’s cause for concern and immediate overreactions. The game was halted due to inclement weather coming into the area and Troy seems a lot more motivated than Clemson. 

So much so, the Tigers failed to score a touchdown in the game and trailed 16-0 before getting a field goal late in the second quarter. Clemson fans have every reason to be upset with the team, Dabo Swinney and everyone involved with the program. If Clemson fails to get back on track against Troy, the Tigers might be a lost cause. 

Clemson fans are in shambles after miserable first half showing against Troy

The best thing to happen for Clemson in the first half against Troy was the Trojans managed to miss the field just before half to keep it 16-3 at the break. It’s been a miserable showing by the offense for the second straight week. If Troy is exposing Clemson as frauds, well, it’s going to be a long season for the Tigers. Here’s what fans are saying. 

Brandon Walker, you're saying what every Clemson fan is thinking right now. Is this team truly a fraud? And if so, does that mean this season is over just as it's beginning? That's what it's starting to feel like. Last week felt like an anomaly and now it's starting to look like a bad omen. Whatever happens in this game, the temperature check on Clemson fans is going to be off the charts.

The worst part of Clemson's struggles right now is that even with a loss, they'll still be ranked, but will absolutely have an uphill battle back into the CFP conversation. Their conference slate is horrible and if they're struggling against Troy, Clemson fans have no reason to be optimistic the rest of the way.

No better way to sum up how Clemson fans are feeling than a X platform account called "Angry Clemson Fan" calling it how it is. The Tigers paid Troy to come to "Death Valley" to absolutely shatter the souls of Clemson fans and the Tigers themselves. the only thing worse than losing a game you have no business losing is losing it and paying a team to beat you; oof.

Troy is exposing Clemson's biggest problem: Garrett Riley

LSU made a mockery of Clemson's offense last week. In what was supposed to be a duel of college football's top quarterbacks, turned into LSU exposing Clemson's offensive issues that have carried over into Week 2. This is an offense that is losing the battle in the trenches with a team that has a fraction of their NIL funds.

Cade Klubnik hasn't even thrown 100 yards yet and has thrown a pick-six. In one half, Troy has scored more points than Clemson has scored its first two games combined. This is not the showing you expect coming off a frustrating loss to a team technically ranked lower than you at the time. As some of said on the X platform, LSU has indeed broken Clemson. Or rather, they've broken Riley.

This tweet is the most alarming graphic you could put together for a team that had a schedule built for them to run away with the ACC and land one of the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff. Troy is proving Clemson is more hype than anything. Their struggles against LSU were exacerbated against Troy. Is this a sign of something more pressing?

What Clemson's struggles against Troy tell us about how good the Tigers really are

Clemson is struggling on offense the first two games is proof this team isn't as good as we thought, and it means the ACC is probably a one-bid league in the CFP. Miami is the conference's only hope at this point because Clemson is certainly a fraud. SMU lost to unranked Baylor, making it hard for them to get back into the rankings if they fall out.

The Tigers were supposed to be the team that carried the conference with Miami as a possible second team. Instead, they can't be trusted to win the games they're supposed too. Their offense shouldn't be struggling like this. It's not just a Cade Klubnik problem either, it's a Riley problem too. He needs to figure out how to get the most out of this team because right now they're struggling.

Troy was supposed to be bounce-back game, and instead it's turned into further evidence Clemson isn't as strong as we hoped. Whether they win or lose, this team has some serious problems and if Troy can expose that, it's going to be a long season for Clemson.