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In the aftermath of 44-16, Robbie Caldwell walked through the confetti and into the tunnel toward the locker room at Levi's Stadium.
He had a bone to pick with some of the media folks who were observing Clemson's gleeful celebration of a second national title in three years.
"Where are those fools who said we couldn't block those guys?" he snarled. "They said we couldn't block them. All them damn TV people. And y'all too. Them boys blocked the (expletive) out of them. No sacks. I'm so tickled for them."
Caldwell had every right to throw it back in everyone's faces that night. His offensive line had done what was thought impossible by neutralizing a pillaging defensive front led by Quinnen Williams, giving Trevor Lawrence and his young receivers time to do majestic things.
And that's really the rub of the current situation here in September of 2021, less than 32 months since that night when Nick Saban's world seemed like it was crumbling and Clemson's trajectory seemed headed up, up and away.
Just as there was nowhere for Clemson's offensive line critics to hide back then, there is nowhere for Caldwell and the line to hide now in the wake of an absolute mauling at the hands of an elite defensive front.
That's not some half-baked hot take. It's just the reality of the situation when such fundamental vulnerabilities are exposed for the world to see yet again.
In a toxic social-media culture of overheated debate among fans behind keyboards, it's common to stridently settle on just one thing as the culprit for a bad event.
Thus in this case those camps are:
1) It's Tony Elliott's fault!
2) It's the offensive line's fault!
3) It's DJ Uiagalelei's fault!
Any reasonable assessment would have to conclude that it's all of the above. Elliott certainly will see some calls he wishes he had back when he watches the film today. Uiagalelei will certainly see a flustered, rattled presence when he takes a look at his performance from all angles.
But it's hard to call plays and guide an offense as the triggerman when the line of scrimmage is being owned to that degree. That's just an inescapable fact.
