Joel Klatt believes Clemson Tigers' offensive surge can spark playoff hopes: "Cautiously optimistic"

The Clemson Tigers are this season's college football's Jekyll and Hyde team. After being humbled 34-3 in Week 1 against Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs, they responded with a 66-20 blowout win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Popular college football analyst Joel Klatt expressed his optimism that the Tigers' offensive explosion against the Mountaineers could herald an improvement in form.

“So which one is it? Clemson Tigers fans – let’s check in. Which one is it? You know what? Cautiously, I’m optimistic," Klatt said on Joel Klatt Show. "For the first time since last year, I can honestly say that this is kind of what I wanted to start to see last season when Garrett Riley became your offensive coordinator. I remember this because, in hindsight, it was probably the prediction that I was most off on before last season in 2023.

"This idea that Garrett Riley, coming from TCU after that national championship run with Max Duggan and going to Clemson, was going to improve Cade Klubnik and the offense, which had become very stagnant at Clemson. That was the thought. I thought to myself, you know what? I trust it, I think that Garrett is really good, I think Cade is talented, and I think this is going to work."

Analyst backs Clemson Tigers to make CFP

The 2024 college football season will see some changes, with perhaps the biggest format change coming in the expanded college football playoffs, which will now include twelve teams.

Several one-loss elite teams, including the reigning national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, who were defeated by the Texas Longhorns, the LSU Tigers, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Clemson Tigers, therefore, still have a chance of making it come December.

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel was also up on the Tigers' chances of making the college football playoffs in a few months.

“Clemson’s next game is against an NC State team that lost 51-10 to Tennessee. ... The Tigers don’t have to face surprise teams Boston College, Syracuse or Cal,” Mandel wrote.

The Clemson Tigers will get a bye week in Week 3 and a chance to show off their offense against the NC State Wolfpack in Week 4.