Clemson Tigers Projected for Disappointing Postseason

The Clemson Tigers football team is projected to play in bowl games, but not the ones fans are hoping for.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks with media in the media room at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, Satuday, August 10, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 college football season is going to be a challenging one for the Clemson Tigers. They have one of the toughest schedules in the nation, which starts with the daunting task of facing Georgia in their season opener.

Navigating their schedule will be challenging. The Tigers have lofty goals, as they want to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Coming into the season, they are projected to be right on the cusp.

Some oddsmakers have them between 15-20 when it comes to their chances to win the title. They are starting the season with the No. 14 ranking, which would put them right outside the field of 12.

Will they be able to make a move up the rankings? There will be opportunities to do so as they will face off with several ranked teams throughout the season. In the preseason poll, four of their opponents are ranked, and four more received votes.

Clemson, in the first bowl projections shared by Athlon Sports, will miss out on the College Football Playoff. They have projected the Florida State Seminoles as the ACC Champions, earning a bye in the playoff.

But, the Tigers are one of 12 teams that Athlon believes will be partaking in Bowl Season. They have been projected to earn an invitation to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, facing off against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Big 12 representative. It would be the first bowl meeting between the two programs ever.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl is set to be held in Orlando. That is a bowl game that Clemson has plenty of experience playing in, as they have played in the Florida city four times under four different bowl sponsors. The last time was in 2021 in the Cheeze-Its Bowl against Iowa State.

College Football News has also projected the Tigers to miss the College Football Playoff. They have the Tigers playing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina agiant the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

“If it’s not in the College Football Playoff - and at the moment, we’re saying it’ll be just barely on the outside - then it needs to find somewhere new and different to play after winning the Gator Bowl last year.

The Gator would be the better fit for the Tigers, but going to the Duke’s Mayo would be new, getting the call for the first time since 2010 - they're not going to the same bowl two years a row,” as written by College Football News.

A lot can change between now and December when bowl games are being played. Clemson certainly has bigger goals than the Pop-Tarts Bowl or Duke’s Mayo Bowl, as their sights are set on earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.