I still don't think we're going to decline

The worst part of Saturday was losing to the #####. The worst part of Sunday was realizing that something has ended.

The period of ascendance that started in 2011 is over. We had the rise, the breakthrough in 2015-2016, the peak dominance in 2018, and a slow decline since. 25-24 over LSU, 40-35 over OSU, the ND hurricane game, Lamar Jackson in Death Valley, 40-6 over Oklahoma and then 37-17 over Oklahoma in the rematch, the Bama playoff series, 31-0 over OSU, Trevor and ETN pulling us past the Buckeyes again 29-23, 40 straight at home, 7 straight over FSU, 7 straight over the #####. That was a #### good run and I'm grateful to have seen it.

Clemson isn't dead. There is a good chance we re-group, adapt, and have a second golden age. It may be more likely than not. But the first run--the Boyd, Watson, Trevor run--is over. It may have ended two years ago, but I see it now. And that makes me really sad.

dawghater23

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Nov 28, 2022, 12:59 PM

I think the cycle we're in will be a plateau. I mean, maybe folks forget, but this is where we were w/ Tajh and co. It's just we were fun to watch...until WVU hung 70 on us haha.

We can maintain 10 win seasons b/c our conference sucks (now, an argument to be made that this may be short-lived w/ Cristobal at Miami and Norvell at FSU, plus the annual slip up against NC St., Wake, Cuse, etc.).

We can still recruit fairly well (headwind here is transfer portal, NIL, and other teams in the region becoming top programs - UGA and Tenner).

We're still fairly well funded and have plenty of sound assets in the football program to bolster us against regional competition.

So we have the pieces in place to remain a perennial contender due to these circumstances, I'd argue. That hasn't changed. The issue is, if we get there (big games) we won't contend against other, similar programs, because we don't have the coaching staff.

We'll be a solid 10 - 11 win program, losing big games, getting waxed in playoff appearances if we happen to make it (which I'd argue, we would have pre-Deshaun). That's the reality.

And we're paying a guy $11ish million a year to do that I think?

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Things Fall Apart.

Are we finally cycling out?***

More like rolling down hill like a snowball headed for hell

Re: Things Fall Apart.

I'm somewhere between both of you

We're also still top 10...

Chinua Achebe?***

And Yeats. That is a fantastic novel, though.***

I still don't think we're going to decline

I'd be fine with that.

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