Clemson's unshakable belief will likely define program heading into 2025

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Clemson’s late run to reach the playoffs was defined by three words: “Why not us?”

The 2024 Tigers had plenty of roadblocks on their back to the postseason. Georgia crushed an offseason of optimism. Louisville bruised their way into Clemson’s late-season winning streak, and South Carolina wiped away a strong at-large bid.

Even after all of those strikes, Clemson’s optimism was the first to rise.

They believed their time would come and that they wouldn’t waste it if given the opportunity.

That moment came in the least likely way, as Fran Brown and Syracuse upset Miami hours after the loss to the Gamecocks, providing one of the most emotional Saturdays in recent memory for the Tiger fanbase.

Clemson had an opportunity to put their money where their mouth was, and clinch a spot in the CFP with a win over SMU.

Nolan Hauser’s leg cashed that playoff check, and the Tigers rushed the field with a vindication of that optimism.

Even as SMU stormed back down 17 in the second half, there was no doubt on the sideline covered in orange that they’d rush the field as champions.

“When your team is jelled together, there’s no breaking it,” Parker said. “There was never a doubt in my mind we wouldn’t lose this game. That comes from doing life with your brothers in the offseason and the bond we built. We knew the job we had to do, and we went and did it.”

That, almost blind faith is a defining characteristic that this 2024 team has been associated with. Even with the insurmountable odds that this team faced to make the playoffs after losing to Lousiville or South Carolina, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Faith carried them to Austin, and in a way, the game mirrored the 2024 season. While Clemson’s issues cropped up in the rushing attack, the fight on the field, led by Cade Klubnik, revealed the team’s character.

The 2024 season ended in the Lone Star State, but maybe that faith didn’t fade into the echoes of the crowd, or the turf on the field.

That belief was carried into the locker room by the face of Clemson’s program, already looking ahead to 2025.

"I hate losing. I hate losing, and I hate losing in the playoffs. But nobody picked us to be here in the beginning,” Klubnik said. “Nobody believed in us. Nobody really wanted us here. But we believed in each other, and this group of guys that has fought together -- you know, I just think of Jake Briningstool, and Barrett (Carter), and Tristan Leigh and Marcus (Tate), just to name a few. I feel like a year ago they were just my teammates, and this year, they are truly like my brothers. Because we’ve walked through life together, we’ve walked through hard times. I spoke up and shared how much it sucked and also was kind of vulnerable.”

Klubnik’s promise the locker room of Atlanta carried them to even have a shot in this moment, and his play nearly gave them a shot for an upset.

Even when that belief was maybe folly, it didn’t matter until it was truly over.

The make of the 2025 Clemson Tigers will look different, but the raw emotion of this version will likely find a way to carry over.

It all may be led by their quarterback, who wears his heart on his sleeve and left it all out in the field in Austin.

Finding faith in the success of the Tigers might’ve been hard for the fanbase to carry, but the fight against Texas might be enough for that belief to carry into a new season.

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