Clemson Tigers Cling to Top 25 Spot After Latest Loss

The Clemson Tigers may not be as good as everyone thought, but they still sit in the top 25 for now.

Nov 2, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney in a team huddle during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

It has been a season that, to this point, has been bookended by disappointment for the Clemson Tigers after their latest loss on Saturday.

It was a contest that many had marked down as a trap game, and those who were prepared were proven to be right as the Louisville Cardinals took care of business with a 33-21 win.

There were many who were skeptical of the dominance that the Tigers had displayed during their six-game win streak, claiming that it was nothing but the product of a weak schedule, and with the latest loss, those skeptical few look to be on the right side of history.

The loss has seen Clemson plummet in the AP Poll to 19th in the nation but has seen the program fall even further in Chris Vannini’s latest college football power rankings for The Athletic.

After ranking 12th in last week’s rendition of those power rankings, the Tigers have now fallen to 25th, barely clinging to a spot within the top 25.

Looking back at things, the dominance being a product of a weak schedule could be the case, as Clemson’s wins have come against opponents with a combined record of 20-31 this year, an average of 3-5 across all of their opponents they defeated.

The schedule does not lighten up much for the Tigers down the stretch, as outside of their contest with The Citadel, their other three remaining opponents have combined records of 17-8, a 6-3 average record among those three teams.

It has been a rollercoaster of a campaign, to say the least, but all may not be lost for Clemson quite yet.

There is still an outside possibility of reaching the newly expanded College Football Playoffs, though the program will need a lot of outside help in the matter.

Superstar junior quarterback still performed well in defeat Saturday, throwing for 228 yards and one touchdown to no interceptions on 33 of 56 passing.

Superstar senior running back Phil Mafah was another standout in the loss, rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 30 attempts.

The season is far from over for the Tigers, though they do need to figure things out as they approach the final games on their schedule.

If they win out, they could still get in the College Football Playoffs with an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, but that may be too unlikely at this point and they may have to settle with just a regular old bowl game.