Nick Saban isn’t ready to send Pat McAfee to Clemson just yet.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban cooled off the idea that ESPN College GameDay should be planning a trip to Death Valley anytime soon, saying he wants to see the Tigers prove themselves first. His message was simple: Clemson has to look like Clemson again before anyone starts locking in a GameDay visit.
“I think we’ll see if they’re back," Saban said. "I know they’ve got a lot of question marks too, whether it’s quarterback, and they got a lot of holes to fill. I mean, everybody thought they were going to be, you know, the class of the town last year, and it just completely disintegrated on them."
Saban also pointed to Miami as the team to watch in the ACC, adding, "somebody better beat Miami". He wrapped up his thoughts by saying, “So I don’t know.
I’m not ready to put my stamp on it," Saban finished. "I have to see it first, but I think in that league, somebody better beat Miami because I think you know Mario's got it going down there, and they got some good players, and they’re physical.”
That kind of wait-and-see stance fits the moment Clemson is in. The Tigers used to be the ACC’s standard-bearer throughout much of the College Football Playoff era, but that shine has faded some.
Miami, meanwhile, enters the year with plenty of buzz, even though the Hurricanes have never won the ACC before. Their last conference title came back when the Big East still sponsored FBS football.
If College GameDay does end up at Clemson, the schedule gives ESPN a few possible landing spots. The Oct. 3 home game against Miami stands out immediately, especially if both teams are still unbeaten. The Oct. 24 visit from Virginia Tech could also work, and the Nov. 28 game against South Carolina is another possibility.
Clemson’s slate also includes a Sept. 5 trip to LSU, home games against Georgia Southern on Sept. 12 and North Carolina on Sept. 19, a Sept. 25 road game at California, and later matchups with Charleston Southern, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke, and South Carolina, plus the ACC Championship on Dec. 5 in Charlotte.
Still, the bigger point is that Clemson has to earn the spotlight. The Tigers have to handle their own business, and the opponents across from them have to be strong enough to justify the kind of national attention GameDay brings. That’s the reality of playing in the ACC, where the path to a marquee television draw can depend as much on the opponent as on Clemson itself.
For now, Saban isn’t buying into the idea that Clemson is back on top. And until the Tigers show it on the field, he’s not eager to stamp GameDay on Death Valley.
In Other News...
Clemson Might Finally Have The NFL Talent Wave Fans Expected
For a program that has long sold itself on elite talent development, Clemson is starting to see the kind of draft buzz that tends to follow a loaded roster. ESPNs Jordan Reid and the NFL Mock Draft Database both have multiple Tigers showing up as potential early selections in the 2027 NFL Draft, a sign that this fall could be about more than just winning games. Cornerback Ashton Hampton, wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., edge rusher Will Heldt and linebacker Sammy Brown are all part of that conversation, with each giving Clemson a different kind of high-end upside.
What makes the picture even more interesting is the balance of it. The Tigers are not leaning on one obvious star to carry the draft hype, but on a cluster of players at premium positions who could push the teams profile higher if the season unfolds the way evaluators think it can. TJ Moore is also in the mix, giving Clemson another name to watch as the NFL attention builds around a roster that may finally match the recruiting reputation fans have been waiting to see turn into real draft capital. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Is Hearing More Doubt Than Ever Entering 2026
Clemsons preseason buzz for 2026 has a different tone than the one that usually surrounds Dabo Swinneys program. National outlets have the Tigers slotted fourth in the ACC, and ESPNs projections put them in the middle of the league pack in a way that suggests there is less separation between Clemson and the teams chasing it than fans are used to seeing. The bright spot remains on defense, where linebacker Sammy Brown is drawing major recognition as one of the conferences best returning players.
The bigger concern is the way the questions are stacking up around the programs direction, especially on offense. Clemson still has not settled its Week 1 quarterback, with Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds competing for the job, and the lack of a clear answer only adds to the skepticism from outside the building. Even the national conversation around Swinney has turned sharper, with critics openly wondering whether the Tigers are still operating at the level that once made them a weekly national fixture. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Late Game Identity Just Got A Sobering Reality Check
Clemsons reputation for late-game resilience has a statistical backbone, and CBS Sports Cody Nagel put it in sharp relief with a look at how Power Four teams have fared in fourth-quarter situations since 2021. The Tigers are among only four teams in that group with a winning percentage of .250 or better when they enter the fourth quarter down by at least a touchdown, a sign that this program has repeatedly found ways to stay alive when the odds are tilted against it.
The flip side, though, is where the conversation gets more uncomfortable. Clemson has been almost automatic when it carries a lead into the fourth quarter, winning about 95% of those games, but the broader clutch picture is less flattering and points to a team that has not always been as clean at closing as it is at chasing. For a program built on consistency, that split matters, because the difference between surviving a comeback and finishing off a tight game can define a season. [Read more 🡒]