Clemson Bowl Projections Shift After Florida State Win
Clemson improved to 5-3 with a 36-24 victory at Florida State over the weekend, leaving the Tigers one victory short of bowl eligibility. Updated projections place them in several different postseason games.
Clemson’s win over Florida State has altered some predictions for the Tigers’ postseason destination, though projections remain split among several bowls. The Tigers are 3-2 in the ACC and need one more win to become bowl-eligible, extending a streak of 21 consecutive seasons if they qualify again.
One ESPN projection still sends Clemson to the Sun Bowl on December 31 against Oregon State. The Beavers also stand at 5-3 after losing 38-22 to Fresno State, ending a five-game winning run. Another ESPN projection now has Clemson facing Penn State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on December 26. Clemson last played in that bowl, then called the Meineke Car Care Bowl, in 2010.
CBS Sports projects a San Juan Bowl matchup with Marshall, while On3 has Clemson meeting UTSA in the Military Bowl. UTSA is 7-1 and 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference, with its only loss against Texas. A separate projection from Sports Illustrated keeps Clemson in the Holiday Bowl against USC, which is 7-2 after beating Ohio State.
Penn State, the opponent in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl projection, is 4-4 and has dropped four of its previous five games. The projections are not settled, and Clemson’s remaining results will shape its bowl prospects. One analyst’s assessment is that the Tigers may have to win every remaining game, or at minimum finish undefeated in ACC play, to reach the Holiday Bowl.