1. Into the woods without delay, but careful not to lose the way.
Into the woods, who knows what may be lurking on the journey?
Into the woods to get the thing that makes it worth the journeying.
Stephen Sondheim's musical mishmashed the paths of numerous fairy tale characters.
But the referenced lyrics from its prologue could also be used to describe this offseason's Clemson recruiting experience.
Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson four-star defensive tackle Peter Woods' commitment Friday night brought climax to a five-week stretch in which the Tigers catapulted back into widespread acceptance as a program holding elite status.
An argument could be made, of course, that Clemson had not gone anywhere.
But last season's on-field offensive slog opened the door for folks to take their shots at Dabo Swinney and Co., and that they did.
It's not as if the program is without flaw, has facets that couldn't stand improving or does things outside the realm of reasonable scrutiny.
Yet the noise implied the Tigers needed to change anything and everything, with the point being that Swinney needed to modernize Clemson with a progressive approach identical to what others were doing.
This observer's stance has been that what differentiated Clemson in the first place was Swinney's countercultural principles, and that last season's outcomes did not mean the Tigers suddenly needed to go pay-for-play in recruiting while stockpiling transfers and moving toward a cutthroat roster management style.
Maybe their key to survival was doubling down on what separated Clemson in the first place, appealing to that niche of prospect and family, and tweaking certain variables to squeeze more out of that identity.
Swinney carefully maneuvered not to lose Clemson's way as it went back into the woods this offseason, with bidding wars and critical stigmas lurking on the journey.
The Tigers have more needs to address and await summer resolution on a few more targets.
But they own signature recruiting victories over sovereign Alabama, reigning champion Georgia and red-hot Notre Dame to sit at No. 4 overall in the network team recruiting class rankings and with the nation's third-best average star rating for schools with five or more commitments.
To get the thing that makes it worth the journeying.
