Clemson's Offense Showing It's College Football Playoff-Worthy

If you were concerned about Clemson’s offense entering Saturday’s visit from Georgia Tech, the Tigers sent a loud-and-clear message: Calm down, please.

Following sometimes-sluggish efforts in wins over Louisville and Notre Dame, Deshaun Watson and the Clemson attack put together their most complete effort of the season in a 43-24 rout of the Yellow Jackets.

It was the biggest sign yet that Clemson’s offense is ready to carry the load for a push to the College Football Playoff. Entering Saturday, the Tigers offense, in its first season under co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott, had been just average.

Clemson was ranked No. 61 in total offense, rolling up 405.5 yards per game, and averaged 33.5 points per game, which was No. 44 nationally. In addition, sophomore quarterback Watson and the passing game hadn’t been anything special, with 211.8 yards per game to rank No. 78 nationally.

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Clemson QB Deshaun Watson already has more passing yards (202) in one half today than 3 of his 4 previous games.

— Brad Senkiw (@BradSenkiw_AIM) October 10, 2015"

On Saturday, the Tigers were never really challenged while putting together a balanced offensive effort. Tailback Wayne Gallman set the tone with a 66-yard touchdown sprint down the left sideline and added a second score (from one yard out) to help give Clemson a 17-3 lead with 2:52 left in the quarter.

Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

By halftime, it was all but over, thanks to Watson touchdown tosses to Jordan Leggett that helped build a 33-10 advantage.

Clemson’s offense had excellent balance in outgaining Tech 537-230. The Tigers had 336 yards passing and 201 yards rushing, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

Watson didn’t have Heisman Trophy-like numbers, but he was efficient, completing 21 of 30 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while showing excellent touch on his passes and getting up after every big hit. Gallman piled up 115 yards on 13 carries, averaging 8.8 yards per carry.

Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

It was a huge sign for an offense that struggled at times against Louisville and Notre Dame, scoring a combined 44 points with Clemson winning by a combined five points. At times, it looked as if the Tigers were winning despite themselves. Against Notre Dame, they watched a 24-9 lead nearly melt away completely before stopping a late two-point conversion for a two-point victory.

Clemson attempted only one pass in its final three possessions against the Irish, a ratio that would make former Tigers offensive coordinator and current SMU head coach Chad Morris blanch.

On Saturday, the team found the balance that Elliott, Scott and their mentor, Morris, crave.

“Offensively, we flexed our muscles and showed some explosiveness in the run game and passing game,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told ESPN’s Jerry Punch on the network telecast. “There was a lot of rhetoric we wouldn’t be ready to play. We were ready.”

At 5-0, Clemson’s path is relatively clear for a run to the College Football Playoff.

No. 12 Florida State, which visits Nov. 7, is the only current Top 25 team left on Clemson’s schedule. An Oct. 24 trip to Miami is potentially tricky, and the regular-season finale at South Carolina will be emotional, but it’s easy to see the Tigers running the table and finishing 12-0.

That would certainly put Clemson in the conversation for a College Football Playoff bid, if not at the forefront.

“I think we were in the conversation this summer,” Swinney told Punch. “We’re in the conversation. But conversation don’t win. Playing, showing up, making plays consistently every week, that’s what wins.”

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Really thought there'd be a letdown after Dabo celebrated like they won the national title. But that team is legit. Impressive.

— Corey Clark/TDO.com (@Corey_Clark) October 10, 2015"

If Watson can continue his development with a strong corps of wide receivers that is still finding its way following deep threat Mike Williams’ neck injury that will likely sideline him for the season, and the offense can lean on Gallman’s powerful running, the Tigers will be a serious threat to everyone on their regular-season schedule and beyond.

If the offense can join Brent Venables’ solid defense with week-in, week-out consistency, it’ll be a scary thought for the rest of the nation, indeed.