Former College Football Star Shares Bold Clemson Tigers Prediction

A former Heisman Trophy Award winner has revealed a bold take on how 2024 will unfold for the Clemson Tigers.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts on the sideline during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game against Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 college football season did not get off on the right foot for the Clemson Tigers. With a chance to make a statement in their opener against the preseason-ranked No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, they came out with a dud.

The Tigers were destroyed, losing 34-3. They were unable to get anything going on offense, which led to their defense wearing down and getting steamrolled in the second half after a very strong first half.

After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia kicked two field goals in the second quarter to take a 6-0 lead into halftime. That would have been enough to win the game, but the Bulldogs poured it on with four touchdowns in the second half while Clemson managed a single field goal.

Coming into the season as the No. 14 ranked team, the Tigers will probably drop a little bit in the standings. While some people may change how they view the ACC contenders long-term based on this performance, it wasn’t a game many people thought they would win.

As two-touchdown underdogs, Clemson had slim chances of victory. They have to learn from this loss and clean up some areas of the game, such as figuring out a way to get this offense humming.

Cade Klubnik completed 18-of-29 passes for only 142 yards with one interception. He was sacked twice as well.

Despite the demoralizing defeat, some people still have confidence that Dabo Swinney and his team will figure things out.

One of those people is former Texas A&M star and Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel. In an exclusive interview with Action Network, he revealed what teams he believes will be playing in the College Football Playoff.

One of the 12 participants, in his opinion, will be the Tigers.

“...Number 7, Alabama. Number 8, another SEC team, Ole Miss. Number 9, Notre Dame. Number 10, I have a Clemson. Number 11, I have my fighting Texas Aggies sneaking in at the 11 spot,” Manziel said.

His No. 1 overall seed and SEC champion pick is Georgia. He believes they will meet the Oregon Ducks in the title game.

Based on the other predictions that Manziel made, Clemson makes the field as one of the at-large teams. The Aggies star believes that Miami (FL) will be winning the ACC and earn the No. 3 seed.

While the Tigers struggled in their opener, the Hurricanes looked great. They dismantled their in-state rivals, the Florida Gators, 41-17, going into Gainsville and making a statement.