Clemson has a good chance of retaking the Atlantic

The ACC championship is a game that Clemson has become all too familiar with in recent seasons.

Head coach Dabo Swinney has done an excellent job in the Atlantic Division and the ACC in general. When you look at the ACC champions over the past ten seasons, Clemson’s name is all over it, winning six of the last ten.

Not only has the team won six of the last ten, but up until last season, Swinney and the Tigers had won a ridiculous six straight ACC championships. Clemson leads the entire conference with twenty total ACC championships, with Florida State trailing behind with sixteen.

Last season just wasn’t the season the Tigers have become accustomed to. They failed to advance to the ACC championship, with Wake Forest winning the Atlantic Division and ultimately losing to Coastal Division champs Pittsburgh.

There has been a lot of change within the Clemson football program, with assistant coaches moving on for head coaching positions, a turnover in talent, and much more. The question remains: Will the Tigers reign in the Atlantic once again?

ESPN staff writer Billy Connelly seems to think it’s possible, though there are some reservations as the Tigers are in a unique situation.

Here’s what Connelly had to say about Clemson:

Did promoting from within fix the Clemson offense? Dabo Swinney is intensely (and justifiably) proud of the culture he has built at Clemson. His Tigers have won at least 10 games for 11 straight years and, from 2015 to 2020, ripped off a string of six straight ACC titles and College Football Playoff appearances with two national titles. Not bad for a program that had one national title (also its only top-five finish) in its history when Swinney arrived.

Despite college football’s rapid change, Swinney has thrived in part by resisting it. He brings in minimal help from the transfer portal and doesn’t lose as many transfers as others. He hires good assistants, pays them well and gets out of their way. His offense cratered in 2021,…