Massive Stakes Fuel Palmetto Bowl Excitement for Clemson Tigers Fans

The Clemson Tigers are gearing up for their highly-anticipated matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Nov 23, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter (0) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against The Citadel Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

While it is not the highest-ranking meeting between the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks in the long and tumultuous history of the Palmetto Bowl, the playoff implications that this year's rendition holds has expectations high for both teams with the game quickly approaching.

A loss for either team eliminates any chance that the team has at making the newly-expanded College Football Playoffs, and a loss for the Tigers eliminates any chance they have of making the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

With both teams having so much to play for, it is sure to be yet another in a long list of exciting matchups between these two programs, and Justin Williams of The Athletic expects this year's rendition to be the second-best game of the weekend.

"There are a few layers to the Palmetto Bowl. It’s an evenly matched rivalry game between top-15 teams. Clemson is still alive in the ACC championship hunt, needing a loss by Miami, but there’s also a burgeoning subplot of whether the winner of this game has a chance to slither into an at-large Playoff spot," writes Williams. "A more prosaic SEC has helped bolster a three-loss South Carolina with close defeats against LSU and Alabama; a win over Clemson and perhaps some losses elsewhere would give the Gamecocks an argument. On the flip side, Clemson — the first team out in the latest 12-team bracket — is hoping its two losses and a quality win over South Carolina could vault the Tigers into an at-large spot, even if it misses the ACC championship. Would the committee dare to put Clemson in over a two-loss SMU or Miami team that falls in the conference title game?"

Clemson leads the overall series with a 73-43-4 record, including a 16-7 win in last year's Palmetto Bowl.

Saturday's game will be the first time since 2013 that both teams were ranked for the meeting, and the Gamecocks hold the better record in those contests at 5-1.

While the contest has been mostly one-sided over the years, it is all but guaranteed to not play out as such this time, with both teams having legitimate cases to make the College Football Playoffs.

This is not the Tigers' last chance at making the dance, but with a loss, they will be left on the outside looking in for the fourth time in as many years.

Rivalry week is an exciting time in college football across the board, and this matchup looks to be no exception.