If there’s one play that summed up Clemson’s 2025 season, it came on the very first snap of the Pinstripe Bowl - and let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a highlight-reel moment.
Facing Penn State in what marked the final chapter of a disappointing year, the Tigers opened the game with a bold call: a fake punt. Now, aggressive play-calling can be a tone-setter in bowl games, especially non-playoff matchups where teams are more willing to dig into the trick-play drawer. But timing and execution are everything - and this one missed the mark by a mile.
The play broke down before it ever had a chance. Clemson’s gunner clearly didn’t get the call, and the result was a busted fake that left the Tigers giving Penn State excellent field position right out of the gate. The Nittany Lions didn’t waste the gift, cashing it in for an early field goal and grabbing the momentum.
It was a microcosm of Clemson’s season: big expectations, bold intentions, and a frustrating lack of execution.
Coming into 2025, the Tigers were pegged by many as a legitimate national title contender. ESPN’s panel of experts had them slotted as a top-four team, and with good reason.
The program still boasts talent on both sides of the ball and a head coach in Dabo Swinney who’s no stranger to the big stage. But somewhere along the way, the pieces never fully clicked.
Clemson wrapped up the regular season at 7-5 - a far cry from the kind of record that would punch a ticket to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. The offense sputtered at times, the defense couldn’t always bail them out, and the Tigers just never found the rhythm that’s defined their best seasons.
This is a program that not long ago was the gold standard in college football. National championships in 2016 and 2018.
A run of dominance that had them knocking on dynasty status. But the 2019 title game loss to Joe Burrow and LSU marked a turning point.
Since then, Clemson has struggled to recapture that same edge.
The fake punt in the Pinstripe Bowl? It wasn’t just a miscue - it was symbolic.
A team trying to spark something, trying to take control, but ultimately falling short. Again.
There’s no question the Tigers will head into the offseason with plenty to evaluate. The talent is still there, and Swinney’s track record speaks for itself.
But if Clemson wants to get back to contending for national titles, the margin for error - and the room for miscommunication - has to shrink. Because in today’s college football landscape, one blown play can snowball fast.
And in this case, it started with a fake punt that fooled no one - not even their own guy.