Clemson Receives Disappointing Bowl Projection from CBS Sports
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The Clemson Tigers will begin the season ranked No. 23 in the coaches poll and unranked in the Associated Press preseason poll, with head coach Dabo Swinney needing to prove to voters that his program is under control after a 7-6 finish last year.
Swinney noted that his roster is full of a bunch of "nobodies" who have to show their results on the field this season. Clemson has plenty of talent on the roster, but there are questions at quarterback with Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds.
How much a turnaround Swinney can produce this season will determine if the Tigers go bowling or make the College Football Playoff.
CBS Sports is projecting Clemson to play Oklahoma in the Gator Bowl, which would be a disappointment for the Tigers. A 10-3 Virginia defeated 8-4 Missouri in the Gator Bowl last season.
Clemson has plenty that needs to be proven with its roster this season, but a generous schedule suggests the team should be hoping for more. The Tigers will start off their season at No. 11 LSU, but their Oct. 3 contest at home against No. 7 Miami is the only other ranked game on their schedule.
Clemson should cruise to wins over GA Southern, North Carolina, California, Charleston So., Florida State, Syracuse, and Duke. The Tigers will face steep challenges from Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina.
With that being said, outside of LSU and Miami, Clemson should be favored to win every other game on its schedule.
A 10-2 Clemson squad should be competing both for the ACC championship and the College Football Playoff. Going to a bowl game against a four-loss SEC program would not be exciting for the Tigers this season.
Certainly, it did seem like Clemson had much interest in the Pinstripe Bowl last year, losing 22-10 to Penn State.
The Tigers have a real possibility to play meaningful football in December. Of course, that would mean Swinney is able to do a tremendous job coaching, but he's getting paid to do just that.
It's time for the Tigers to back up their talk and make a run for the CFP, not the bowling alley.
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