Clemson Tigers’ Bowl Game Projection Isn’t Actually a Bowl Game Right Now

The Clemson Tigers slowly, but surely, are working their way into the College Football Playoff picture.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney runs down the hill before kickoff against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The dark days of the season-opening loss to the Georgia Bulldogs are behind the Clemson Tigers. Not that there aren’t potential road blocks ahead.

But, after three straight wins the Clemson Tigers (3-1, 2-0) are tied for first place in the ACC and eyeing the potential of a trip to the ACC Championship game in December.

But, in an expanded College Football Playoff, a bowl projection isn’t always a bowl projection these days. The Tigers are finding that out as the weeks go on.

The Action Network put together their bowl game projections after the action of Week 5. The Tigers are projected not to play in a bowl game, but to play in a first-round CFP game.

The site projected the Tigers as the No. 10 seed. Miami, which is ranked ahead of Clemson in the AP Top 25 right now, got the ACC’s automatic berth into the CFP and the No. 3 seed. That comes with a trip to a bowl game.

In this scenario, the Tigers would play in a first-round game against the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers and would have to go to Rocky Top for the right to advance to the quarterfinals.

Then, and only then, would the Tigers actually play in a bowl game.

Bowl games are nothing new for a program that has been around for more than 100 years and has played in 50 of them, with a record of 27-23.

Under Dabo Swinney those games are practically a birthright. He first led Clemson to a bowl game in the 2010 season as the Tigers advanced to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Since then Clemson has never missed a bowl game, in part because the former CFP format, with just four teams, saw the semifinals take place on bowl sites.

Swinney has led the Tigers to a New Year’s Six bowl on 10 different occasions, including a streak of three straight from 2011-13 and of six straight from 2015-20.

Within that stretch were four appearances in the CFP championship game, which were at neutral sites. The Tigers won two and lost two between 2016 and 2020.

Clemson’s last New Year’s Six bowl game was in 2022 at the Orange Bowl, but it was not a CFP semifinal bowl that year.

The Tigers are preparing for this Saturday’s game with the Florida State Seminoles as they attempt to remain undefeated in ACC action, with a road trip to Wake Forest coming up the following week.