National Analyst Argues Clemson Tigers Have One of Most Difficult Schedules in ACC

National Analyst Argues Clemson Tigers Have One of Most Difficult Schedules in ACC

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

National Analyst Argues Clemson Tigers Have One of Most Difficult Schedules in ACC
Clemson football will look to get back to the ACC Championship in 2026.
Clemson football will look to get back to the ACC Championship in 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

July is the month of speculation, and with nothing else to do, analysts are breaking down each college football team with plenty of scrutiny. The Clemson Tigers are one of those teams.

Head coach Dabo Swinney and his group face a schedule that is filled with top opponents, and On3's Andy Staples believes that the Tigers have the second-hardest schedule in the ACC. They are only behind Florida State while lead names like Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Boston College.

It doesn't come as a shock; Clemson's non-conference opponents are typically some of the most difficult in the country since Swinney began to begin the Tigers' national prowess over 10 years ago. Staples also argues that the program "take a step back in terms of talent" in 2026.

Clemson's journey begins with LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 5. This contest begins the Lane Kiffin era with the Bayou Bengals and Swinney will look for revenge after what went down in the 2025 game inside Memorial Stadium last August.

Staples then brings up the final game against South Carolina. While nobody really knows how the Gamecocks are until the season begins, he brings up the "aliens" that they have on their roster. Of course, LaNorris Sellers is one of them, while defensive end Dylan Stewart is the one to watch on the other side of the field.

South Carolina have also beaten Clemson the last two times at Memorial Stadium, which will be imperative to snap that streak in November.

An "obvious trap" game also occurs with the Cal Golden Bears on Sept. 25. It's also a Friday night game and one of the latest games the program has ever played, with it being a 10 p.m. kickoff. Perhaps that game in Berkeley will determine how the rest of the Tigers' season will go, especially after the outcome of Week 1.

Staples brings up a point that the game with Cal and then Miami is only eight days. Not only that, but the Tigers will be traveling across the country to host the Hurricanes.

The end of Clemson's schedule has some bumps in the road, with it potentially having the capability to drop each one. Revenge games against Georgia Tech, Duke and Syracuse are sure to be more emotional fights compared to others. That trio of teams all defeated the Tigers in 2025 to burst the bubble of national championship hopes.

Swinney will need a strong start in 2026 to help dictate that, and he's a month closer to seeing if he can do so.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/clemson as National Analyst Argues Clemson Tigers Have One of Most Difficult Schedules in ACC.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos