Opinion: Clemson has taken a step backward this season, but it shouldn't be surprising

Clemson will not be in the College Football Playoff and the calendar hasn't even reached October. It's as startling to think about as it is to type. That's how precipitous the fall has been for the Tigers this season after six consecutive trips to the semifinals.

The fate was confirmed Saturday when DJ Uiagalelei's pass to Justyn Ross on fourth down fell incomplete in overtime, giving North Carolina State a 27-21 victory that was its first in the series since 2011 and second in 17 attempts.

The reality is this fall from the elite was a long time coming for close observers of the Tigers. A defeat in the Playoff to LSU after the 2019 season showed cracks. They were further exposed when Ohio State blew them away in last year's semifinals. The offensive line wasn't good enough. The team wasn't physical enough. It seems hard to absorb given the run of five-star recruits that roll into Death Valley each fall.

The play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his array of receivers could paper over the cracks, however. And nobody in the ACC could really expose them. North Carolina nearly did in 2019. Notre Dame — a conference opponent last year — defeated them. But throwing away the two games against the Irish last year, Clemson had 31 consecutive victories against ACC opponents, dating to a loss against Syracuse on Oct. 13, 2017.

This shocking loss to North Carolina State on the heels of a defeat to Georgia is too much of a mountain to climb with the committee, even if chaos breaks out. And there's nothing really that makes you believe this Clemson team could even win the rest of its games.

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So where do the Tigers go from here when the expectation of going to the Playoff is snuffed?

The first thing to understand is this is a natural life cycle even for the teams at the top of the food chain. You can recruit like mad and hit on your top prospects but not all of them could turn out. Those that do might leave a year early without a reliable backup ready to go.

It happened at Alabama two seasons ago when it lost twice in the SEC. This season, Ohio State looks shaky in the Big Ten and might see its four-year run of conference championships end. Same with Oklahoma and its six consecutive Big 12 titles.

There's still time for Clemson to win its seventh ACC crown in a row. It starts with recognizing the new normal. There will be no pretty wins against quality foes in the league. That was shown last week at home against Georgia Tech — when a goal-line stand was needed to secure the win — and this week when overtime was only required because N.C. State missed three field goals, including one on the final play of regulation.

Uiagalelei looks nothing like the player that starred in two starts in relief of Lawrence last year. Getting his confidence going with his receivers beyond Ross is vital. Solving the running game worries could be more difficult, especially with freshman Will Shipley, the team's leading rusher, looking like he suffered a serious leg injury in overtime. The defense has been very good and it will have to be better with so many close games ahead. Forcing a few momentum-changing turnovers would help.

The fight the rest of the way is going to be difficult. The other contenders in the ACC have been waiting for the opportunity and see blood in the water.

A betting person would take the field at this point, which is inconceivable from where things stood at the start of the season. That tells you all you need to know about how wild this first month has been for Clemson.

Follow Erick Smith on Twitter @ericksmith.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clemson has taken step back after upset loss to N.C. State