ESPN season outlook says Playoff return is "essential" for Dabo Swinney

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is confident in his roster, and he will have a shot at a Playoff return with an ACC championship contention.

by TigerNet Staff - Thu May 16 09:39:34 GMT-04:00 2024

There are 100 days to the first kickoff of the college football season overall, and ESPN did a wide-ranging early preview with several Clemson mentions.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney landed in the ten coaches to watch, with a key mandate for him in a new age of college football.

"He's a future Hall of Famer and the first coach to truly challenge Nick Saban's stranglehold on the sport, winning national titles in 2016 and 2018. But his hands-off approach toward the transfer portal has raised questions, especially after Clemson dropped four games last season for the first time since 2011. A return to the CFP is essential for Swinney," ESPN's Adam Rittenberg said.

Swinney's Tigers rank No. 10 on the list of contenders for a bye in the expanded 12-team Playoff, which will likely go to the ACC champion (Top 4-ranked conference champions take the top four places in the CFP). Florida State is one spot ahead.

"The Tigers need to make some strides on offense after finishing outside the top 50 nationally a year ago in scoring offense, but their defense should keep them in every game. The game to circle is their trip to Florida State on Oct. 5," ESPN's Chris Low said. "The Tigers haven't been to the playoff since the 2020 season, but they've won seven of the past nine ACC titles. So don't count out Dabo & Co."

Two Clemson games landed in the top ten to watch for the season, with Clemson-Georgia at No. 8 and Clemson-Florida State at No. 5.

"Want to identify the moment Georgia became the behemoth of college football and Clemson started its slow decline from perennial playoff contender? It might well be the opener in 2021, when the Bulldogs outlasted the Tigers 10-3 thanks to a pick-six of DJ Uiagalelei. If Clemson wants to reverse those trends, winning the 2024 opener would be an excellent start -- not to mention a healthy dose of redemption," ESPN's David Hale said. "The 2023 season proved a return to normalcy in the ACC, with the FSU-Clemson showdown effectively determining who was top dog in the league. Both teams should be battling for a spot in the ACC championship game again this year, though the winner would probably prefer an exit from the ACC altogether."

Another game to watch? The home opener with Appalachian State, who rank fifth in a list of Group of Five conference teams that can make the Playoff.

"Star quarterback Joey Aguilar (3,757 yards, 33 TDs) and almost his entire receiving corps return to supercharge one of the G5's best offenses. The defense is ultra-experienced and the Mountaineers get Liberty at home in a CFP elimination game of sorts. (They get a shot at Clemson, too.)," ESPN's Bill Connelly said.