Clemson back in championship hunt after Week 1 disaster vs. Georgia

The Tigers got off to a blazing fast start with 28 points in the first quarter, and they returned to their locker room at the half leading by a score of 45-7. After leading 56-13 after the first two quarters of their win over Appalachian State last week, Clemson has now scored at least 45 points in the first half of back-to-back games for the first time since Dabo Swinney became the school’s head coach in 2009. During Saturday’s victory, Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 67 percent of his passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns in addition to rushing for 70 yards and another score.

On the defensive side of the ball, Clemson got an excellent performance from defensive end T.J. Parker, who finished with five tackles (two for a loss), two sacks and one forced fumble. Tigers cornerback Ashton Hampton also picked off a pass near the end of the third quarter and returned it 53 yards for Clemson’s final touchdown of the day.

Saturday’s win has to have Clemson feeling good, especially with how many people were down on the team after they suffered a 31-point loss to Georgia in their 2024 season opener.

But since that loss, the Tigers have looked dominant, outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 70 points. In the last two weeks, Clemson has looked much more like the championship-contending team that people envisioned before the start of the 2024 season.

Looking at the rest of the Tigers’ schedule, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be right in the mix for a spot in this season’s 12-team College Football Playoff.

Of the nine games left for Clemson to play, only one is currently ranked (No. 15 Louisville), and that matchup will take place inside the Tigers’ home stadium. According to the ESPN analytics matchup predictor, Clemson is the favorite to win each of the nine contests remaining on the school’s schedule.

If this happens, the Tigers would finish the season with an 11-1 record, and they might not even need to come out with a win in the ACC Championship game to end up as one of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff bracket.

Of course, upsets can always happen on any given Saturday. But Clemson has quickly turned things around after an embarrassing performance in its first game of the season, and the school’s fan base can get back to thinking that a spot for the Tigers in the College Football Playoff is a legitimate possibility.