College Sports
National outlet assesses Clemson as value bet to make College Football Playoff
Cade Klubnik is one big reason to bet on Clemson returning to the College Football Playoff.
· · 5 hours ago
Bet on Clemson to make a return to the College Football Playoff, CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli says.
“It’s not the most exciting bet to make, but it’s a solid one. Clemson is the favorite in the ACC for a reason. It’s been the most successful program in the league for over a decade and still managed to win the ACC last season despite it being a ‘down’ year in Death Valley,” Fornelli said. “In 2025, the Tigers have one of the most experienced rosters in the country, including senior quarterback Cade Klubnik and an assortment of monsters on the defensive line. History suggests that combination works quite well for Clemson.
“Yes, there are games against LSU and South Carolina on the schedule, and they won’t be easy. However, since they’re not conference games, we are getting some insurance if Clemson drops one or even both because it won’t affect their standing in the ACC. Speaking of the ACC, if Clemson plays Miami this season, it won’t be until the ACC Championship Game. They get both Florida State and Duke at home, and Louisville should prove to be their toughest road game, though Georgia Tech would like a word about that.”
Clemson returned to the CFP tier last year after winning the ACC Championship over SMU and earning one of the top-5 ranked conference champion spots in the new 12-team format.
This year’s format will feature the top-5-ranked conference champions again guaranteed to be in the field, but instead of the Top 4 being in the Top 4 seeds, all will be seeded as they are slotted in the final Playoff committee rankings.
Counting the four-team CFP from 2014-23, Clemson has made seven Playoff appearances since 2015. With the ACC champ virtually guaranteed a CFP spot, Dabo Swinney‘s Tigers have captured the league crown nine times since 2011.
Longer shots Texas A&M, Washington and BYU also made the value bets, while Tennessee was one picked to miss the CFP.
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