Plenty of upside

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CLEMSON -- One of the haunting images from Clemson's final game is Davis Allen running free behind Ohio State's defense, raising his right hand.

Trevor Lawrence saw Allen, saw that right hand. But amid pressure, he rushed his throw and the ball sailed too far to Allen's right.

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We're not going to sit here and say if Clemson goes up 14-0 at that juncture that we'd be looking back on a totally different game, and a totally different opponent for Alabama in Monday's national championship game.

But it was nonetheless a big moment. And, maybe, a fitting image for the tight ends not supplying the big-stage impact we might've forecast earlier in the season or before the season.

After a year of extraordinary attrition at receiver, the Tigers figure to be flush again at wideout in 2021. But the tight ends, led by Braden Galloway and Allen, figure to be really good too.