Clemson’s win over North Carolina on Saturday did more than keep the Tigers moving in the right direction. It also nudged them back into the bowl conversation, with ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both projecting Clemson to land in the postseason again.
That would extend a remarkable run. The Tigers have been bowl eligible in 21 straight seasons, the fourth-longest streak in the FBS right now, and both ESPN projections say that stretch reaches 22 this December. The catch is that the two writers split on where Clemson ends up.
Bonagura has Clemson heading to the Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, on Dec. 28, with Navy waiting on the other sideline. Schlabach sees a different path, placing the Tigers in the Old El Paso Sun Bowl in Texas against Utah.
There are other games that could make sense for Clemson, too. The Pop-Tarts Bowl and the Holiday Bowl are both mentioned as possibilities, and it’s easy to see why the Tigers would draw interest. Dabo Swinney’s program brings name value, and bowl games tend to notice that.
The projections also say something about how the rest of Clemson’s season is expected to unfold. Looking back at the teams that filled those bowl spots a year ago helps frame it.
Pittsburgh played in the Military Bowl last season and finished 8-4, with a 6-2 mark in conference play that put the Panthers sixth. The Sun Bowl had Duke, the ACC champion, against Arizona State, even though the Blue Devils’ nonconference results kept them out of the College Football Playoff.
That’s the kind of profile the national media seems to expect from Clemson: a team good enough to stay in the postseason picture, but not one being handed a spotless path through the ACC. Even so, the Tigers still control their own fate, and conference play remains the clearest route to the 12-team playoff.
One of the biggest tests ahead comes against Miami, a game that stands out as a statement chance at home. The Hurricanes also made both Bonagura and Schlabach’s 12-team postseason shortlist, and Clemson will be looking to use that matchup to change the tone of its season.
Beyond Miami, the Tigers still have Virginia Tech, Duke, South Carolina and Georgia Tech on the schedule, all of them games that could help shape the resume one way or another.
For now, Clemson turns to Friday night’s road trip to Cal. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. from Berkeley.
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