Two national outlets weighed in recently on the game to watch in Clemson’s 2025 College Football Playoff bid — and they came to different conclusions.
Over at ESPN, it’s the Nov. 14 Friday matchup at Louisville.
“It’s tempting to suggest the opener against LSU will tell the story of the 2025 season for Clemson, but that wouldn’t be true,” ESPN’s David Hale said. “Look no further than last season, when the Tigers stumbled badly against Georgia in Week 1 but still won the ACC. It’s true, too, that there are other potential pitfalls along the way, including a home date with Syracuse in September and a trip to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels in his first ACC game. But we’ll circle the Nov. 14 date at Louisville as the real make-or-break moment. The game comes on the heels of Clemson’s annual rivalry matchup against Florida State, and no visit to Louisville is easy.
“This Cards team might be Jeff Brohm’s best, and after Louisville whooped Clemson in Death Valley a year ago, it makes sense to think this is the showdown that will tell us how far the Tigers have come in their quest to get back to a national title game.”
Clemson came into last season’s 33-21 defeat against Louisville as an 11-point favorite. The Tigers had not lost to the Cardinals since they became a regular foe, joining the ACC in 2014. One impetus for Tom Allen’s hire, Louisville averaged 7.8 yards per rush and totaled 210 rushing yards, with 151 coming just from freshman standout Isaac Brown (one touchdown).