Clemson is at a different level now. Back before they were winning, when guys like Sammy Watkins went there, yeah, I think they did what every other SEC school was doing (and F$U and Clemson count in that group) and bought talent. I don't think they need to do that any more with the juggernaut Dabo has put together.
We're not beating Clemson or Bama or even Taint overnight. If all the chips fall the right way, we may be able to claw our way into the Top 10 this year. With lots of luck, we could even back into a BCS playoff game like we almost did in 2017. But to become a dominant team again, we need to beat everyone else in the ACC and pop off overrated OOC teams like the Gators first. Do that a couple seasons in a row, and a lot of kids will start staying home.