Clemson Among ‘Most Overrated’ Teams Based on Preseason Ranking

Clemson continues to face critics heading into an important 2024 campaign.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks with Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) during the Clemson first football August practice in Clemson, S.C. Thursday August 1, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Clemson has heard all of the critics entering the 2024 season. Fair or not, the Tigers will have an opportunity to prove to the college football world that they're as good as they once were.

It won't be easy to do so given the success the program has found, but if Clemson plays well, they'll be in a strong position to compete for a national championship.

They'll take on Georgia in their first game on Saturday, a game that many don't believe they can win. While that isn't much of a knock on Clemson and rather an indication of how good Georgia is, it's starting to feel like many are writing the Tigers off.

Not just against Georgia, but as a whole.

Of those analysts counting Clemson out is Brett McMurphy of the Action Network. McMurphy listed the "most overrated" college football teams based on their preseason rankings, listing Clemson. He also had plenty to say about head coach Dabo Swinney.

"On Monday, news broke that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney will no longer take live calls on his weekly radio show. Hopefully, the Tigers can end something else: their failure to live up to preseason expectations. Clemson is the nation’s only school that has been ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 in each of the last five years to finish the season ranked lower than its preseason ranking."

He ranked Clemson as the 11th most overrated team in the nation, which put them third in the ACC on his list. Miami was at No. 9, while Florida State, who didn't play well in their Week 0 game against Georgia Tech, came in at No. 10.

Swinney has said many times that he doesn't listen to what people have to say about his program. He's also been on record saying he doesn't care about preseason rankings, as they don't determine how the year will go.

Still, the noises are loud.

If Clemson wants to debunk those narratives, they could do so by winning the ACC. Their Week 1 game against Georgia won't help with that, but it'd be a nice step in the right direction if they beat the Bulldogs in Atlanta.

Their ACC schedule will be tough again as they face NC State, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and others.

With one of the biggest seasons in program history coming up, the ball is in Clemson's hands. What they do with it will say a lot about the team they are.