Clemson Tigers Among Most Surprising Teams at Midway Point of College Football Season

The Clemson Tigers have been rolling after a difficult season opener.

Oct 12, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Keith Adams Jr. (19) reacts to his touchdown against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The 2023 season was the first time since 2010, Dabo Swinney’s second year on the job, that the Clemson Tigers failed to win double-digit games.

It looked as if the program was heading toward another extremely disappointing season with how things started against the Georgia Bulldogs in their opener.

The Tigers were destroyed in Atlanta, 34-3. Optimism was at a low as people were questioning whether Swinney was the man for the job any longer given his feelings on the transfer portal; Clemson was one of the only programs in the nation to not bring in at least one player that way.

However, the people writing the team off have been proven wrong in the following weeks.

Since the embarrassing defeat, the Tigers have been one of the hottest teams in the nation. They have rattled off five straight wins, all by 16+ points as they are steamrolling opponents.

Everything is clicking, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is looking like the five-star prospect they thought they were getting out of high school. He has turned into a legitimate dual-threat.

The unit is much more explosive, as he is pushing the ball downfield to start freshman Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore. Antonio Williams has re-assumed his spot as the No. 1 receiver as well.

Phil Mafah is bulldozing opponents on the ground with 604 yards and four touchdowns.

Now ranked inside the top 10 and squarely in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot, Clemson looks to be back. Their performance to this point has been recognized as one of the biggest surprises in college football by Morgan Moriarty of Bleacher Report.

“Clemson's path to the ACC title game seems feasible. It has just one ranked opponent remaining on its schedule in No. 20 Pitt, which it plays on the road on Nov. 16.

The Tigers' only other road game is Virginia Tech the week prior, with home games left vs. Virginia, Louisville, The Citadel and South Carolina. Per ESPN's FPI matchup predictor, they are favored to win each of their remaining games by more than 50 percent,” the Bleacher Report expert wrote.

The schedule certainly isn’t daunting. If the Tigers handle business, they would be in line for a spot in the ACC Championship Game, with a potential matchup against the Miami Hurricanes.

That game would be massive as the winner would more than likely receive a top-four seed and a bye in the first round of the playoff. The loser would have to await their fate but would have a great chance to earn an at-large bid.

A home game in the first round could be within reach, but it would depend on how the rest of the field shakes out.