James Skalski's 'Favorite' Season at Clemson Included No ACC Title, No CFP Appearance

Skalski has been a cornerstone of the Clemson defense over the past three seasons, and unhappy with the way the Tigers' 2020 season ended with a blowout loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, the veteran linebacker quickly decided to return to Clemson for a sixth season.

Expectations were high. The roster was littered with elite-level talent. However, inexperience and an offense that was eventually ravaged by injuries saw the Tigers take a step back in 2021. 

The Tigers dropped two games in the month of September for the first time since 2014 and after an October loss to Pitt, found themselves sitting at 4-3, with their hopes of winning the ACC Atlantic on life support. There would be no sixth ACC Championship, nor sixth College Football Playoff for Skalski. 

Don't tell him the 2021 season wasn't a success, though. In fact, this was the most fun Skalski's had in his Clemson career.

"I've said it before," Skalski said after the Tigers Cheez-It Bowl win. "I mean I've won natty's here, College Football Playoff's; this is the most fun and the most just unique... it's been my favorite year of all six of them. By far my favorite."

To say Clemson's roster was ravaged by injury might be underselling it. By the time the Tigers got to Orlando for the Cheez-It Bowl matchup with Iowa State, the team was down more than two dozen players, with 19 of those injury-related.

With his team facing so much adversity throughout the entire season, Skalski said at times it felt like the deck was stacked against the Tigers, but the fact that they still persevered, is what made it so exhilarating. 

"I mean we had 28 guys out," Skalski said. "Nine of those guys are transfers, so 19 are due to injury, two more during the game with me in (Andrew) Booth. You got 21 dudes out to injury and then we got like seven scholarship receivers. The world's stacked against you right and we just keep finding a way. I mean, that's been the story of this year. It's been the story of this year."

At the end of the day, the Tigers were able to win their final six games to finish 10-3. Victories that included a 30-0 shutout win on the road against rival South Carolina and the hard-fought 20-13 win over the Cyclones in the Cheez-It Bowl. It was the 11th consecutive season that Clemson has hit the 10-win mark.

The face that the Tigers were able to pull off that feat, despite the numerous obstacles that stood in their way, is what made Skalski's sixth and final season just a little bit sweeter.

"Just because all the challenges and all of the grit it took to get through it," Skalski said. "And just seeing everyone want to make it happen, want to make it go. It was awesome."

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