CLEMSON, S.C. — Barrett Carter came to Clemson University to win championships, not to listen to narratives about a fading football program no longer capable of earning national titles.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior linebacker is eager for the 14th-ranked Tigers’ chance to put that to rest when they open the season against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. ABC will televise the noon matchup.
“Tired of the disrespect. Tired of all the negative stuff,” said Carter, who leads a defense that finished eighth nationally last season, when he was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team selection. “Just ready to show what we know we can do as a team. We’re ready to showcase that.”
The Tigers realize the strides they can make in their showdown with the Southeastern Conference’s Bulldogs. Win, and this Clemson team is an instant big-picture contender closer to the powerhouse that made six straight College Football Playoff appearances from 2015 to 2020 and won the national title in two of those seasons (2016, 2018).
There’s also another side to the situation, of course. Lose, and what will certainly continue is the outside perception held by some that Clemson is on a downward spiral, a program with its best days done while led by a coach, Dabo Swinney, who took the Tigers on their terrific run but now can’t (or won’t) adapt to college football’s recent rapid changes.