247Sports makes early bowl projection for Clemson |
247Sports updated its early 2023 bowl projections
ahead of spring football starting -- and the outlet has a familiar Clemson opponent for the postseason.
Just not one the Tigers have met outside of the Playoff recently. The site projects Clemson to face Alabama as an ACC at-large opponent picked for the Peach Bowl. "Here's a matchup we've grown accustomed to seeing in the College Football Playoff era between two of the country's winningest programs over that stretch," said 247Sports' Brad Crawford. "If Alabama plays in the Peach Bowl to cap the season, that means the Crimson Tide fell short of a SEC title and missed the final four for the second straight year. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are entering a new era with Garrett Riley as their OC and Cade Klubnik as starting quarterback. Should Clemson be considered the preseason ACC faves?" The teams last met in the 2018 season's national championship game, a 44-16 Clemson win. If Clemson is in Atlanta come December, that means someone else has won the ACC, and that pick is Florida State for 247Sports. FSU is pegged for the Orange Bowl and a matchup with Wisconsin, leaving the ACC shut out of the CFP for a third-straight year. The Tigers played in the Orange Bowl last season as the ACC champ, losing 31-14 to No. 6 Tennessee. Clemson defeated Iowa State 20-13 in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando the previous season. Dabo Swinney's Tigers made the Playoff each campaign from 2015-2020 and advanced to the national title game in four of those seasons, last in the 2019 season, and won it twice (2016 and 2018). 247Sports' projected Playoff is Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and Southern Cal.
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