Is “Clemsoning” back?
Remember when this term was a buzz word to define Clemson in big game moments early in the Dabo Swinney era? After a pair of national championships, 2 national runner-ups, 6 straight CFP appearances, and a slew of ACC titles between 2015-20 that term was officially put to rest, as the Tigers established themselves as one of the top powerhouses in the sport.
But is it time to revive this term again in 2025? “Clemsoning” is defined by Urban Dictionary as:
- The act of failing miserably on a grand athletic stage, or when the stakes are high.
- Record-setting failure, usually reserved for college.
If you begin to break down the gradual fall from their perch of a perennial powerhouse, it all really started in 2021 with a dismantling by Ohio State and Justin Fields in a New Year’s Day CFP Semifinal Sugar Bowl game (which was Trevor Lawrence’s final game). Including that game, the Clemson Tigers are 15-17 vs. teams with winning records, and 4-14 vs. teams who finished the season ranked or are currently ranked.
Sure they have still managed to win 2 of the last 3 ACC championships, but that accomplishment is really diminished in the grand scheme of things when you consider the losses bookending those 2 conference title wins.
In 2022, with a CFB Playoff spot on the line, Clemson (10-1) lost at home to their most-hated rival South Carolina (31-30) for the first time in 9 years. Following a win in the ACC Championship a week later, they proceeded to get waxed in the Orange Bowl by Tennessee (31-14).
Flash forward to this past season in 2024, Clemson lost at home to South Carolina again the week before the ACC Championship, then almost blew a massive lead vs. SMU, before finally capturing another conference championship crown. This allowed them to steal a bid into the first edition of the expanded 12-team CFB Playoff, before being bounced on the road at Texas in the first round.
The larger point here – Clemson has not won anything of substance in nearly half a decade, and the meaning behind some of the games they have won has been greatly reduced by their inability to beat quality opponents anymore.
Is “Clemsoning” back? Yes, it is.
The Carter Cadence is a new blog series from Creative Media Director Brooks Carter. Follow Brooks on X and Instagram.
