The 2025 Clemson football team has already been one of the biggest disappointments in college football. They opened the season looking lifeless, going 1-3 and not looking great in their lone win against Troy. They finally woke up against North Carolina, but it might be too little too late, especially considering how evil the Tar Heels have been to start the year in their own right after the fans left at halftime.
Sports Illustrated senior college football writer Pat Forde wrote about Clemson's playoff hopes and where they stand in the current season. He said Clemson is “cooked” as a playoff contender for an at-large spot. The only way the Tigers can sneak into the College Football Playoff is to run the table and win the ACC Championship.
Forde elaborated more on Clemson's chances and said, “ Clemson popped on Saturday against the Tar Heels, looking far more explosive than it had been previously—but, again, North Carolina might be the worst power-conference team in America, so those are empty calories for the time being. With three losses and few chances for quality wins remaining, Clemson is cooked as an at-large playoff contender. The Tigers will need to get into the ACC championship game and win it, just like last year. At 1–2, that’s a heavy lift. A 6–2 league record might not be good enough to get there.”
The Clemson offense had 488 total yards against the Tar Heels. Cade Klubnik went 22/24 for 254 yards and four touchdowns. They also scored 28 points in the first quarter and led 28-3, before ultimately winning 38-10.
If you're a Clemson fan, it was good to see a dominant performance across the board, especially given the amount of NFL talent on the roster. However, the hole they dug is too deep to climb out of, and they need much help to even get into College Football Playoff consideration.
The Tigers' talent is still better than that of the majority of the ACC, and they don't play Miami, which also helps their chances. No one should ever count out Dabo Swinney, but this Clemson team is not playoff-caliber.
