Seven days ago, the Clemson Tigers were the toast of the ACC, sitting squarely on a projection No. 6 seed and positioning themselves for a possible run to No. 4. Today they’re looking at the NCAA Tournament’s most dangerous spot: The dreaded No. 8/9 game.
After a week without a win, featuring a home defeat by Virginia Tech on Sunday and a reality-check defeat at No. 4 Duke, Clemson’s coffers during the post season have taken their biggest hit of the 2025-26 school year.
From CBS Sports and ESPN's new bracketology, the Tigers (20-6, 10-3 ACC) have fallen from a No. 6 seed to a No. 8 seed. The ‘Houston’ Hazard. The transition from a 6-seed to an 8-seed is not justa two-spot slide — it’s a total bracket disaster. In the previous No. 6 projection, Clemson will face mid-major Santa Clara, a path that likely passed through No. 3 Purdue. With the new CBS projection, Clemson has now moved to the South region, where it will compete against No. 9 seed Indiana.
The prize for winning that game? A Round of 32 with the No. 1 overall seed Houston Cougars.
“Clemson’s two losses cost a lot of money,” analysts remarked, as the Tigers went from "hot on the heels" of a conference title to having to fight so they wouldn't be in the bottom half of the bracket.
Where Clemson’s defeat at the expense of the other teams in the conference was arguably the grandest story in the league, their rivals suffered a far less memorable fate:
Duke: Their win over Clemson was effectively "stabilization." After losing to UNC last week, the Blue Devils are still the No. 1 seed in the East.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies had the scoop for the week at Littlejohn, but quickly “nullified that” with a 23-point loss to Florida State. After a brief glimpse of the "First Four Out," Hokies have fallen back out of projected field already.
Virginia benefited the most from the Clemson slide. Now at 10-2 in the conference, with an open game in hand, the Cavaliers have officially taken over No. 2 spot in ACC hierarchy. And although the 0-2 week was a “week to forget,” it doesn’t mean the end of the line.
The Tigers are still 27th in the BPI and have a top-20 defense nationally. The margins for error have withered, though. To back into the “protected” seed territory (no. 4 or No. 5), Clemson is probably going to have to win four of its final five regular-season games, beginning with an uncertain road trip to Winston-Salem.
The Week Ahead:
Wednesday, Feb. 18: at Wake Forest (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network).
Saturday, Feb. 21: vs. Florida State (Noon ET, The CW).
The ultimate goal—The NCAA Tournament—is still firmly within reach. But if the Tigers can't find their shooting stroke soon--they will be playing a "Play-In" winner for merely an opportunity to end up steamrolled by a No. 1 seed in the second round.