by Brandon Rink
– Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer
– Wed Feb 12 10:56:38 GMT-05:00 2025

247Sports’ early ACC football prediction sees some deja vu for Clemson’s Tigers.

Clemson’s 2024 path to the College Football Playoff had a rocky start in Atlanta with a 34-3 loss to Georgia, and it appeared to be done with a home 17-14 defeat to rival South Carolina. Syracuse’s upset of Miami that same post-Thanksgiving Saturday gave the Tigers a chance at an ACC crown, and they did the rest with a 34-31 win over SMU.

Brad Crawford at 247Sports is predicting the same regular-season, book-end SEC losses for Clemson, opening with LSU in Death Valley on Aug. 30 and heading to South Carolina on Nov. 29, but completing an unbeaten run through the ACC for another CFP bid chance via Charlotte.

The projected opponent? A rematch of a rematch of a rematch with SMU, who also comes to Clemson on Oct. 18. The Mustangs are picked to go 10-2 and 7-1 in ACC action.

“Following a similar pattern to last season’s trip to the playoff, the Tigers could lose to both SEC opponents they face, yet cruise through the ACC en route to a league championship. With Cade Klubnik returning, an arsenal at wide receiver and new blood defensively with Tom Allen taking over as coordinator, the Tigers are the team to beat at the top of the conference,” Crawford said.

Clemson is No. 7 in a consensus of the ‘Way-Too-Early’ 2025 preseason rankings, while LSU is No. 8, South Carolina is No. 12 and SMU is No. 17. November road foe Louisville is No. 24.

247Sports ACC predictions (2/12)

Clemson 10-2, 8-0

SMU 10-2, 7-1

Miami 10-2, 7-1

Georgia Tech 9-3, 5-3

Duke 8-4, 5-3

Florida State 7-5, 5-3

Virginia Tech 7-5, 4-4

North Carolina 7-5, 4-4

Syracuse 6-6, 4-4

Louisville 7-5, 3-5

NC State 6-6, 3-5

Stanford 5-7, 3-5

Pitt 5-7, 3-5

Cal 5-7, 2-6

Wake Forest 4-8, 1-7

Virginia 4-8, 1-7

BC 3-9, 1-7