ESPN FPI 2020 Clemson schedule projections released

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Monday, April 20 2020

ESPN's game-by-game Clemson season projections are in -- and not surprisingly, Dabo Swinney's Tigers are a heavy favorite in just about every one.

Clemson is given a 90 percent or better chance at a win in 11 of its 12 games, with the widest margins coming versus Akron (99.9; Sept. 19), The Citadel (99.9; Nov. 14), Syracuse (99.2; Oct. 24), NC State (98.9; Oct. 17) and Virginia (98.8; Sept. 26).

The next-easiest matchups are projected at Wake Forest (97.3; Nov. 21) and hosting South Carolina (97; Nov. 28).

The Sept. 3 Thursday opener at Georgia Tech isn't seen as much of a contest either (96.3).

The potential top-10 meeting at Notre Dame (Nov. 7) is even an 86.7 percent projection for the Tigers. Their last meeting in the 2018 Cotton Bowl was a 30-3 Clemson win.

The Tigers rank No. 1 in ESPN's Football Power Index preseason for a third-straight year, given a nation-leading 54.6 percent shot to make the title game and 35.6 percent to win it all.

Ohio State is next up with a 38.3 percent championship-game shot and a 20.6 percent odds for a national title.