In general, Stat is making lots of sense to me. But one other problem is that Clemson is loaded at receiver. It ain't just Watson. I like our DBs, but nobody matches up well with the balanced playmakers Clemson has.
That bit about the need for effective passing looks spot on, and I suspect it's the #1 issue. Auburn likes to throw deep, and that opens up all kinds of lanes for running. But when they load up and we can't speed up, you get last year.