Clemson Football: What the Tigers Should Be Thankful for in 2014

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we can all think of things in our lives to be thankful for.

The Clemson Tigers have a few reasons to be thankful as we enter the final week of the regular season. Even though the season hasn’t played out exactly as planned, the Tigers have the opportunity to win 10 games for a fourth straight season.

Head coach Dabo Swinney’s squad isn’t in contention for the ACC title, but winning the rivalry matchup with South Carolina and making a good bowl game could cap off another impressive season.

With South Carolina looking to push the winning streak to six games in this rivalry, the Tigers have plenty to worry about, but here are five reasons why they should also be thankful.

Young Talent on Offense

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Scott has been a nice surprise in his freshman season, and he gives the Tigers plenty of hope at wide receiver moving forward.

The offense hasn’t been consistent all season, but the level of talent that returns next season leaves room for plenty of optimism. The Tigers will hardly lose any players at the skill positions, with only running back D.J. Howard and wide receiver Adam Humphries set to leave.

Deshaun Watson will return at quarterback, and the backfield will be loaded with talent. Wayne Gallman, Zac Brooks, Tyshon Dye and Adam Choice could all legitimately compete for the starting job when 2015 rolls around.

The Tigers also have plenty of talent returning at wide receiver, including Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, Charone Peake, Germone Hopper and Demarre Kitt.

It has been rough this season offensively, but the future is bright on this side of the ball.

Still Having an Opportunity at the Orange Bowl

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The Tigers will look to get back to the Orange Bowl with a little help.

Clemson should also be thankful that it has a chance to play in a BCS bowl. If Florida State stays undefeated, the Orange Bowl would be open to the highest-ranked ACC team left. The Tigers have to find a way to beat South Carolina first, but the Orange Bowl is still a possibility.

Georgia Tech is ranked higher than Clemson at this point, but losses to Georgia and Florida State could drop the Yellow Jackets out of the rankings.

Aaron Brenner of The Post and Courier broke down how Clemson could get back to Miami, and he also noted that the Tigers’ chances are realistic at this point.

Strong Recruiting Outside of South Carolina

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Coach Swinney is one of the best recruiters in college football, and he has proven that with out-of-state success.

Coach Swinney has proven to be an elite recruiter, and a big reason for that is his ability to snag recruits from outside the state of South Carolina.

The Tigers currently hold verbal commitments from 4-star defensive end Austin Bryant and 5-star offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt from the state of Georgia, but the ability to dip into Florida’s talent has been even more impressive.

Clemson holds four commitments from 4-star prospects in the Sunshine State, including highly touted wide receiver Deon Cain.

The Tigers will continue to be a perennial power within the ACC with this type of recruiting, and this level of talent coming in is a big reason to be thankful.

Brent Venables

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The defense has seen a complete transformation since the hiring of Brent Venables.

It doesn’t seem like it was very long ago when West Virginia was setting offensive records against Clemson in the Orange Bowl, so having one of the nation’s best defenses in 2014 is truly amazing.

Brent Venables has instilled a toughness and physicality in the Tigers defense that has shown up on the field but also on paper. The Tigers will enter Saturday’s game with the nation’s No. 1 overall total defense, as they only give up an average of 252.4 yards per game.

The defense has won multiple games for the Tigers this season, and having Venables on the staff is definitely a reason to be grateful right now.

Deshaun Watson's Health

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The fact that Watson isn’t out with a torn ACL is the biggest reason why Tigers fans should be thankful. An ACL injury would have been devastating because it would have affected the Tigers' current season and next season.

He wouldn’t be able to play vs. South Carolina, but his timetable to return in the spring would have also been unknown.

Luckily for Clemson, Watson only suffered an LCL sprain and bone bruise vs. Georgia Tech, and he is on track to be the starter this weekend versus the Gamecocks.

On paper, the offense can be one of the best in the nation next season, and it helps that Watson could be fully healthy when the spring rolls around.