Let's take a look at Clemson Football.
Best / Worst Case Record for :
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Clemson
From 2011 – 2024, the Clemson Tigers never finished a season unranked. From 2015-2020, the Tigers never finished out of the top 5. This was the 2010s second best program, but it’s been a gradual decline ever since. It started at 3 losses, then 4, then the bottom fell out in a 7-6 season that was a disaster by Clemson’s standards. Dabo Swinney has finally started to embrace the transfer portal, but it seems like Clemson is very much trying to play catch-up in this new era of college football. When Clemson started slipping after a great decade in the 1980s, it was 2 decades before Clemson was again among the nation’s elite. The question now becomes if Clemson can turn things around quickly or if they are in a prolonged stretch of football where several ACC programs have passed them by. Is Dabo Swinney even the guy to make that happen? He gets the benefit of the doubt for now.
Will Go 11-1 (7-1) if:
If they can get to November 7-1 or 8-0, Clemson could win out. That means Clemson either 2 of 3 at LSU, at Cal, and Miami. The schedule has LSU and Miami, but if we are being honest, it’s not that daunting. There is no Louisville or SMU on the schedule. They get Georgia Tech at home and South Carolina at home. Beat LSU on the road, and Clemson may already be able to book their playoff trip. Will the new old OC Chad Morris make a difference? If he can, Clemson should have their best offense in years. The Tigers haven’t had consistent quality QB play in years. If QB Christopher Vizzina just limits mistakes, the offense could be better. The wide receivers are good, and the defense should be talented enough to keep Clemson in most games.
Will Go 6-6 (3-5) if:
Clemson remains just OK all the way around. Clemson has recruited too well to not make a bowl, but Death Valley isn’t nearly as hard for opponents to win at as pre-2000. Home wins aren’t a given anymore. An opening loss to LSU could wreck the season, ala last year’s opening loss to LSU. Then back-to-back games: a road matchup at Cal, then Miami could start the year at 2-3. Florida State is down, but that’s still dangerous, and a road game at Syracuse is tougher than you think. Syracuse beat Clemson just last year. Then season-ending games at Duke and South Carolina aren’t easy. Duke also beat Clemson last year, and Clemson hasn’t beaten South Carolina at home since 2018.
