re: Let's talk about this wildly overrated Clemson defense....

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LSUs 2019 unstoppable offense looked nothing like the 2018 offense, despite having primarily the same offensive players back.

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A complete, ground-up offensive scheme and philosophy change played a massive role there. Especially when that new scheme happened to be something our starting QB was much more used to and comfortable running.

Tom Allen is a good or better DC, but he’s not going to be re-inventing the wheel at Clemson. Based on their own media reports, they aren’t undergoing that kind of massive overhaul. Maybe he does a better job developing their players and that makes a big difference, but let’s not act like the 2019 LSU offense is an apples to apples comparison.

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A complete, ground-up offensive scheme and philosophy change played a massive role there. Especially when that new scheme happened to be something our starting QB was much more used to and comfortable running. Tom Allen is a good or better DC, but he’s not going to be re-inventing the wheel at Clemson. Based on their own media reports, they aren’t undergoing that kind of massive overhaul. Maybe he does a better job developing their players and that makes a big difference, but let’s not act like the 2019 LSU offense is an apples to apples comparison.

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I’d actually argue Clemson’s situation is similar to LSU’s 2018–19 offensive leap. It wasn’t just “the same players returning” — it was a scheme change that let those players play to their strengths.

Last year, Clemson’s biggest issue was not having a true DE opposite T.J. Parker. That forced Peter Woods (then 340 lbs) to play out of position on the edge, where he struggled to set the edge. When he slid back inside, he was dominant, but the revolving door at the other DE spot got exposed over and over.

Enter the Purden transfer who LSU and aTm were after - Will Heldt. His job isn’t to be a flashy pass rusher — it’s to lock down the edge so Woods (now down to 300) can wreck people inside and Parker can hunt QBs outside. And by all accounts, he has had a great spring and fall camp.

Tom Allen has already said fixing that structural flaw is his top defensive priority. That’s more than just “tweaks.” It’s a schematic reset, exactly like what LSU’s offense experienced in 2019 — putting players in the right spots and building the system around their strengths.

So no, it’s not just “bad players coming back.” It’s good players in the wrong roles last year now being put in the right roles under a DC who emphasizes discipline, takeaways, and edge integrity. That’s why Clemson’s defense is being projected for a big jump.

It's a bit silly to assume they're overrated based on the previous season. They have a new DC this season. Depends on how quickly he can get it going and the level of talent on the team. That being said, I hope that are overrated.

NEVER take a win for granted, esp a road win.

I just don’t think their D is as good as it’s being hyped to be, that’s all!

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It's a bit silly to assume they're overrated based on the previous season. They have a new DC this season. Depends on how quickly he can get it going and the level of talent on the team. That being said, I hope that are overrated.

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I don’t think we can say they are overrated yet but I do think that I feel better about playing them Game 1 when they are trying to execute their D changes in live play for the first time.