Updated Clemson playoff, bowl predictions after Week 3

One ESPN CFP pick has Clemson earning an at-large spot in the College Football Playoff.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Sunday, September 15 2024

Three weeks-plus of the college football season are in, and Clemson seeks to continue some momentum going this week with NC State coming to town (noon/ABC on Saturday).

The Tigers recovered from a tough start in Atlanta with a 66-20 win over App State before the bye week.

With fellow common preseason ACC favorite Florida State already at 0-3, the Tigers do have at least one pick to emerge from the ACC with a Playoff spot.

ESPN's David Hale says Clemson slips in as the last at-large CFP team. That would send the Tigers to Knoxville and a date with his No. 6-seed Tennessee in the first round.

The other 11 ESPN panelists join him in picking Miami to win the ACC, but he's the only one with two bids for the conference in the CFP.

ESPN's Playoff Predictor metric gives the Hurricanes the seventh-best CFP shot currently (53%), while Clemson (23%) trails Louisville (27%) also from the ACC.

ESPN's official postseason predictors have one pick in the Holiday Bowl vs. Cal (Dec. 27; the other bowl tie-in is for the Pac-12, which only has two teams currently) and the other Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (Dec. 28).

247Sports pegs Clemson for the Holiday as well with Washington State as the opponent.

"Do not torch Clemson's playoff hopes just yet after the season-opening loss to Georgia. More will be known in the ACC title picture after next week's tilt with NC State. Win that game and the Tigers should be favorites in every matchup the rest of the way before a potential contest with Miami will determine the league's auto-bid. That's a long time from now, however," said 247Sports' Brad Crawford.

CBS Sports kept a Duke's Mayo Bowl (Jan. 3) prognostication but swapped out Rutgers for Indiana for the opponent.

Clemson Week 3 postseason picks

ESPN (Bonagura): Holiday v. Cal

ESPN (Schlabach): Pop-Tarts v. Oklahoma State

ESPN (Hale): CFP first round at Tennessee

CBS Sports: Duke's Mayo vs. Indiana

247Sports: Holiday v. Washington State