CBS Sports predicts Clemson football's bowl game and CFP fate entering 2025 season
On the same day Clemson lost a late 14-10 fourth-quarter lead to rival South Carolina to suffer its third loss of 2024, the Tigers got an 11th-hour pardon when Syracuse pulled a stunning upset of No. 6 Miami to send Dabo Swinney's team to the ACC Championship Game for a matchup against SMU.
The Tigers memorably defeated the Mustangs on Nolan Hauser's 56-yard field goal, an ACC title game record, as time expired in a thrilling 34-31 victory that sent them to the expanded 12-team playoff.
While Clemson would fall to the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the CFP to finish 10-4, the Tigers now enter 2025 as a bonafide national championship contender with one of the most talented rosters in the nation. They're ranked No. 6 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the preseason AP poll.
Don't expect Clemson to be absent from the 12-team playoff field come December, says CBS Sports. In the outlet's preseason bowl projections on Thursday, analyst Brad Crawford laid out his prediction for where quarterback Cade Klubnik and company will land in the 2025 postseason picture.
CBS Sports has Clemson repeating as ACC champions and being the No. 3 seed in the playoff behind No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 Penn State. Crawford projects the Tigers to meet either the Alabama Crimson Tide or Boise State Broncos in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
"Dabo Swinney's right -- he might have a roster capable of churning along from beginning to end without a loss this season. That's certainly a high-end projection for a program trying to get back to the playoff with quality wins in and outside of the ACC, but with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and potentially three first-rounders on defense, the iron is hot." --Brad Crawford, CBS Sports.
For Klubnik, his first college start came in Clemson's 31-14 loss to No. 6 Tennessee in the 2022 Orange Bowl. He was 30-of-54 with 320 yards through the air while rushing 20 times for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Clemson opens the 2025 season against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium in prime time on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC. LSU is ranked No. 9 in both the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.
Clemson football schedule 2025
All times Eastern.
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