Clemson Will Show True ‘Identity’ in Contest Against North Carolina State

Clemson has a much needed bye week before heading into ACC play in Week 4.

During their first two games, the year has started off in an interesting fashion.

But when taking away the scores of both games, most Clemson fans expected the team to be 1-1 heading into their bye. Losing to Georgia 34-3 certainly wasn’t a good sign, but it was a game they were expected to lose.

Ultimately, it didn’t change anything for Clemson.

If they win the ACC championship, they’ll be in the College Football Playoff.

Having a better resume would’ve been helpful, but the focus is on winning the conference, something that seems very possible with how the ACC, as a whole, has played heading into Week 3.

But it’s also fair to say that Clemson has warranted questions.

What type of team are they?

Are they team that beat a good App State program by 46 points, or are they the team that lost to the No. 1 squad in America by 31?

It’s likely somewhere in the middle.

That’s why Grace Raynor of The Athletic believes Clemson’s Week 4 game against North Carolina State will help determine their “identity.”

“The Georgia game showed us that — at least in Week 1 — the Tigers still had the same issues from the last three years… But just one week later, Clemson rolled up 712 yards of total offense against App State. Quarterback Cade Klubnik looked like a new person, throwing for 378 yards and five touchdowns… That’s what makes the NC State game next week so fascinating. Clemson couldn’t hang with the best team in the country but dominated a Group of 5 opponent the following week. NC State will be right in the middle and should give us a better look at what Clemson’s identity may be.”

NC State is in a somewhat similar position to Clemson.

While not nearly as talented as the Tigers, they entered the season as a top-25 team by most polls. However, the Wolfpack were dismantled against Tennessee in Week 2, losing 51-10 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

NC State is somewhere in between Georgia and App State. Georgia would likely beat them in a similar way that Tennessee did, and they’d likely find success against App State.

For Clemson, this could be the first time this season they play a team in the same tier as them. Even if NC State is a tier or two below, it’s much closer than their other two contests.

A big win at home would grow some confidence and, perhaps, even change the opinions about this football team.