What bowl game will Clemson football land in? Our latest predictions
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CLEMSON — Clemson football‘s potential bowl-game destinations took a hit after conference championship weekend.
Duke defeated No. 17 Virginia 27-20 in overtime in the ACC Championship, meaning the ACC champion will not make the College Football Playoff’s 12-team field when the bracket is announced Dec. 7 (noon, ESPN).
That’s because Duke, which was unranked in the most recent CFP rankings, will likely not be among the top five ranked conference champions, which get automatic bids. American champion Tulane and Sun Belt champion James Madison will likely get the No. 11 and 12 seeds as the fourth- and fifth-highest rated conference champions.
It’s still possible the ACC has one playoff team. No. 12 Miami could move up two spots because No. 9 Alabama lost in the SEC Championship and No. 11 BYU lost in the Big 12 Championship. Or the committee could decide Miami gets in over No. 9 Notre Dame because the Hurricanes beat the Fighting Irish 27-24 on Aug. 31.
If no ACC team makes the playoff, Clemson (7-5) could play in Tier 3 bowl games because Virginia, Miami and Georgia Tech will likely take the higher-end ACC bowl games (Pop-Tarts, Holiday, Gator) and bump down other conference teams to less-prominent destinations.
The ACC and its bowl partners determine which teams will go where based on several factors, “including avoiding repeat appearances and matchups, regular-season win-loss records and geographic proximity.”
Here are Clemson‘s projected bowl scenarios. Bowl games will be announced Dec. 7.
Clemson football bowl game projections
Here are bowl game projections for the Tigers, in no particular order.
Clemson goes to a Florida bowl game for fourth time in five years
The Gasparilla Bowl, a Tier 3 ACC bowl, on Dec. 19 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Tampa, Florida, is a likely destination for Clemson.
The Tigers have played in the Cheez-It Bowl in 2021 (Orlando, Florida), Orange Bowl in 2022 (Miami) and Gator Bowl in 2023 (Jacksonville, Florida) in their last three postseasons they didn’t make the CFP.
The ACC factors in “geographic proximity,” and Clemson is close to Florida and has a large fan base that would likely travel.
Clemson travels to Boston for Fenway Bowl
Clemson could play in Boston for the second time this season after beating Boston College in October. This time, the Tigers would play in the Fenway Bowl, a Tier 3 bowl, on Dec. 27 (2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Fenway Park.
If no ACC makes the CFP, Clemson could spend Christmas in the frigid Northeast to face a team from the American conference.
Clemson football travel far for Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is a Tier 2 bowl game, but Clemson’s stature could bump them into this destination. This site takes place on Dec. 31 (2 p.m. ET, CBS) in El Paso.
Clemson won seven games and tied for the seventh in the ACC, but the Tigers are a big-name brand that is attractive for bowl games despite the down seasons.
When does college football bowl game schedule come out?
The bowl game schedule will be released on Dec. 7, along with the final CFP rankings You can watch or stream the College Football Playoff selection show on ESPN.
College Football Playoff bracket 2025-26 dates
- First round: Dec. 19 and 20
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 31 and Jan. 1
- Semifinals: Jan. 8 and 9
- National championship: Jan. 19
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson bowl game projections after conference championship games
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