Clemson's Matchup Against Defending ACC Champs 'Will Shape' Upcoming Season
With the College Football Playoff officially expanding to 12 teams this year, there are multiple teams across the country who can get into the tournament with the hopes they win a national championship, and Clemson is expected to be one of them.
To do that, the Tigers are going to have to put together a bounce back season.
For the first time since 2010, which was Dabo Swinney's second year in charge, Clemson didn't win double-digit games in a season.
When the four-team College Football Playoff format was put into effect during 2014-15, the Tigers became regulars starting the following year. From 2016-2021, they were one of the final four teams standing, winning two national titles and getting to four.
But, they haven't been in the mix since then, prompting many to question if Swinney and his program have lost their dominance. They have only appeared in one ACC Championship game in the past three seasons, ending their streak of consecutive title games starting in 2014.
The expanded playoff certainly will help Clemson as there is more margin for error, but with the enhanced SEC and Big Ten conferences, there is some thought that the ACC could find themselves having teams on the outside looking in if they aren't conference champions.
That's why FOX Sports' lead college football analyst Joel Klatt has the Tigers' matchup against Florida State on October 5 as one that "will shape" the upcoming season.
"The ACC is going to be fighting for a second playoff spot, just like the Big 12 is. And the winner of this game likely puts themselves in a firm, I would say, seat, path, control of a berth in the ACC Championship Game," he stated on "The Joel Klatt Show."
With there no longer being five "Power" conferences, the condensed talent will squeeze out those perceived to be not as top-heavy. The ACC and Big 12 fall into that designation, so teams with championship aspirations have to ensure they are at least getting to the conference championship game.
"You've got to get into the game, so that's why this game will shape the season so dramatically is because the winner of Clemson-Florida State, I believe, will have a firm hold on a berth in the game that could potentially put them into the College Football Playoff," Klatt added.
The Tigers' goal is to get back into the CFP, but in order to do so, they need to dominate their ACC opponents like they have in the past.
Beating Florida State in this pivotal matchup will go a long way in accomplishing that goal.