Bowl projections for Clemson football, Dabo Swinney after win vs South Carolina
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
CLEMSON — Clemson football‘s bowl-game destination is a mystery, even for coach Dabo Swinney.
“I’m excited about the postseason. I don’t know where we’re going to go, but we’ll have a great time getting ready to go play somewhere,” Swinney said Nov. 29.
Clemson (7-5) will miss the College Football Playoff and the higher-end ACC bowl games, but the Tigers put themselves in position for multiple lower-end sites, including Fenway Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl, after beating South Carolina 28-14 in Week 14.
Clemson is among 11 ACC teams that reached bowl eligibility as the Tigers finished tied for seventh in the conference (11th with tiebreakers involved).
Here are Clemson’s projected bowl scenarios. Bowl matchups will be announced Dec. 7.
How ACC championship, College Football Playoff could impact Clemson’s bowl game site
Virginia (10-2) will face Duke (7-5) in the ACC championship on Dec. 6. If the Cavaliers win, they will make the CFP.
However, if the Blue Devils beat them, there’s a scenario where the ACC champion is left out of the 12-team tournament if Duke isn’t ranked higher than two Group of Five champions in the CFP rankings. Miami (10-2) could also not receive one of the seven CFP at-large bids.
If both happen, all three could likely take the higher-end ACC bowl games (Pop-Tarts, Holiday, Gator) and bump down other conference teams to take less-prominent destinations.
How Clemson could play in Fenway Bowl
Clemson could play in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27 (2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Boston, home of MLB’s Boston Red Sox. It would be the Tigers’ second trip to Boston after facing Boston College in October.
ESPN projects Clemson to face Army (6-5). Last season, a six-win North Carolina lost 27-14 to UConn.
How it happens: If Virginia wins the ACC and Miami also makes the CFP, it bodes well for Clemson’s chance to play two days after Christmas. If the Hurricanes miss the playoffs, the Tigers would still have a shot to play in Boston, but there are numerous possible destinations with Clemson having similar overall and conference records with teams.
How Clemson could play in Pinstripe Bowl
The Pinstripe Bowl is also held at an MLB ballpark: Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees. It will be played on Dec. 27 (noon ET, ABC) in Bronx, New York.
Athlon projects Clemson to face Illinois(8-4). Last season, seven-win Boston College lost 20-15 to Nebraska.
How it happens: Similar to the Fenway Bowl projection, Clemson would need at least one ACC team to make the CFP for this projection to happen. If the ACC sends no team, it would move all bowl-eligible teams down a tier.
How Clemson could play in Gasparilla Bowl
The Gasparilla Bowl is one of the earliest bowl games on Dec. 19 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Tampa, Florida. CBS Sports projects Clemson to face South Florida (9-3).
No ACC team made this bowl last season as Florida beat Tulane 33-8.
This would be an ideal location for the Tigers and their fans, traveling to the warmer Southeast instead of the frigid Northeast. If this happens, it would be Clemson’s fourth time in five years going to Florida for a bowl game.
How it happens: If no ACC team makes the CFP, this could be a destination for Clemson. It is also in closer proximity to the Tigers, which they could request to have greater fan turnout.
Clemson football bowl projections 2025
ESPN: Fenway Bowl vs. Army (6-5) on Dec. 27 or Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, vs. Arizona State (8-4) on Dec. 31
CBS Sports: Gasparilla Bowl vs. South Florida (9-3) on Dec. 19
Athlon: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Illinois(8-4) on Dec. 27
Sports Illustrated: Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, vs. Missouri (8-4) on Jan. 2, 2026
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football bowl projections after win vs South Carolina
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos