Clemson Tigers Might Be Forming a Brand New Identity

The Clemson Tigers defeated the Syracuse Orange by a score of 18-13 on Saturday, good for their second straight win over an ACC opponent.

Clemson is now 6-3 on the season and has clinched bowl eligibility. The Tigers are also now in a great position to finish with a better record than they did a year ago when they went 7-6.

It certainly hasn't been pretty, though.

Clemson has been getting by with one of the worst offenses in the country. Its passing game has been awful all year long, and the offensive line play has been pitiful.

But thanks to a stingy defense led by upcoming NFL Draft picks Ashton Hampton, Sammy Brown and Will Heldt plus some really good supporting pieces, the Tigers have been able to win some games and improve to 4-2 in ACC play.

Clemson is forming a new identity, even if it isn't a very exciting or encouraging one, and it's the ability to win ugly.

The Tigers have lost three times this season, and two of those defeats were blowouts at the hands of ranked opponents. Its only loss against an unranked team came two weeks ago, when they fell to Virginia Tech, 20-16, at home.

That was an example of Clemson being unable to close out a game, which isn't surprising given that it has been trotting out a true freshman quarterback. But otherwise, the Tigers have managed to eke out ways to emerge victorious.

Is it a great look for Dabo Swinney? Not really, considering Clemson was once one of the most dominant ballclubs in the country, and for an extended period of time, at that.

But it does show that Swinney still has it in him to be able to outcoach opponents in tight contests, which is a good sign.

The Tigers' problem right now is a clear lack of elite talent. They don't have a clear-cut answer under center, their offensive line (although it's banged up right now) lacks maulers and their wide receiver room has been a tremendous disappointment.

If Clemson can ever get back to acquiring top-level talent again (by way of properly utilizing the transfer portal or updating its archaic recruiting methods), then perhaps there is some hope that the Tigers can rebuild their culture.

For now, though, this is how Clemson has to win games. It isn't glamorous, but for now, it's working ... most of the time.