PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. - What's wrong with Deshaun Watson?

If you haven't heard, read or asked that question regarding Clemson's quarterback, you could be in the minority. Maybe it's our short-attention span culture. Maybe it's the snark of Twitter taking shape before our eyes.

But for some, being a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the country isn't enough.

"It's kind of like the iPhone," Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett said. "You want to see what's next. It's pretty much what he's dealing with. It's not like he's having a bad year this year, but it's just not like last year."

That's from one of Watson's teammates. You can imagine what the buzz is outside the Clemson bubble. And you'd better believe the Tigers have heard it: In 2016, Watson became something less than his breakout season in 2015.

To recap: Watson finished last season almost beating Alabama by himself. He had help, of course, but Watson arguably was the best player on the field in the national title game, accounting for 478 total yards against the Crimson Tide.

A couple of problems with that. 1) Watson and Clemson didn't seal the deal in a 45-40 loss. 2) Fair or not, Watson was expected to replicate that performance each week in 2016.

"Coming into the season, everyone wanted me to perform like I did in the national championship, which is really, really hard," Watson said here Wednesday before the Fiesta Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff. "It's possible, but teams aren't going to let you run around and put up numbers like that."

That should be that. Coordinators now have a reel-full of film on Watson. They took all of the offseason to game plan against him. He was no longer a surprise.

"People are starting to recognize more formations," Leggett said, "calling out our plays at the line of scrimmage."

But you have to understand, America can't tolerate an old iPhone.

"It's hard to really simulate and do the exact same thing you did last year," Watson said. "There are different situations. More teams know about you. More eyes are on you.

"It's a lot more -- I guess you could call it -- pressure to be able to perform each and every week."

But Watson wasn't worse in 2016, was he? That was an easy conclusion for those who didn't see him come within 200 passing yards of his 2015 total. His 37 touchdown passes were two more than last year. His 15 picks this season were surpassed by only five other quarterbacks.

But if 3,914 passing yards and 43 total touchdowns is a decline then something is wrong.

"The media," Watson concluded, "are the ones that can kind of control [perception]. If I didn't have the numbers that I had in the national championship game, then I played bad. Even though I didn't play bad, I played bad to them."

That's a bit misguided. The same media made Watson a repeat Heisman finalist. The media can't help that Watson played in the same ACC division as Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, or that Watson badly outplayed Jackson in their Sept. 17 meeting.

Sometimes life isn't fair.

Sometimes you play in back-to-back College Football Playoffs and none of that matters.

"I feel like I'm playing the best football right now," Watson said.

And if the quarterback thinks this sort of scrutiny is unsettling, wait until he gets to the NFL Combine. That most likely will become official next month when Watson is expected to declare for the NFL Draft.

It's probably both accurate and simplistic to label Watson less of a weapon. The Tigers as a whole haven't run it was well as last season. Whether the decision has been conscience or not, Watson himself has run it significantly less.

Only once can you be the first player to throw for 4,000 and run for 1,000 in a season. That was 2015. This year, Watson's rushing drop off was noticeable, down to 526 yards on 77 less carries.

"It just appears that he didn't [run] it as much," Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano said. "They ran a lot of the same plays but he handed the ball off sometimes when he could have kept it. Part of that is coaching, too, right? 'Hey, look, we're going to win the game by 40 ...'"

Schiano didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. Why would Dabo Swinney risk his franchise any more than he has to?

For perspective's sake, consider four of Clemson's 13 games were decided by more than 40 points. In those games, Watson ran it a total of 24 times.

"When we had to coach against Russell Wilson, he would carry the ball when it was needed," said Schiano, who spent two seasons as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Otherwise, he didn't. When they get in the red zone, watch out. The best player is going to get that ball in the end zone."

In the biggest games, Watson took hold. Have we forgotten it was his skills that allowed the Tigers to basically outscore No. 3 Louisville, No. 12 Florida State and No. 23 Virginia Tech?

That summary doesn't include the season's lone loss to Pittsburgh. Watson threw it a career-high 70 times on a day when the running game (50 yards) went completely south.

Everything with Clemson seems to run through him. Beginning with the fall 2015 semester, Watson took a combined 57 credit hours before this season so he could graduate.

"He's one of the best if not the best player in Clemson history," center Jay Guillermo said. "Really, he's been a big part of building our brand."

"He's obviously produced, so I don't think there's any need to compare anything. The guy and graduates ... If anything he's gotten better since last year, seeing what we see on the inside."

What's wrong with Deshaun Watson? Nothing? Something? Stupid question?

For Leggett, the answer on his quarterback once again comes down to next generation technology.

A new iPhone isn't out yet, the tight end admitted, "but everybody is waiting for it. They want to see how it's better than the one before."