With even more College Football Playoff on the horizon, where does that leave a program like the Clemson Tigers that is very much on the outside looking in on it now? With there being a push to expand the 12-team field to 24 as soon as 2027-28, that could give a Clemson team that has not received any top-25 votes in weeks a better shot at cracking the field. Is that actually a good thing?
In a way, it would tear away at the very fabric of what made the Dabo Swinney era so special. Clemson made the College Football Playoff annually from 2015 to 2020. This is because the Tigers dominated the ACC during the four-team era. Since the latest round of playoff expansion in 2024-25, Clemson has only made the playoffs once. It was as a three-loss No. 12 seed because the Tigers won the ACC.
Simply put, to go from four to 12 to 24 teams, the whole sport is settling for mediocrity. Yes, it could still be a big deal to make the playoffs. However, it may end up being viewed the same way as making the NCAA Tournament in basketball, where it becomes an expectation instead of a celebration. Just look at how Brad Brownell has revitalized his Clemson career by simply qualifying for March Madness.
Sources: The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, per sources. The new format will start in 2027 and is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals. pic.twitter.com/tRdVAiqKax
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 15, 2026
Clemson can only get out of its funk by refusing to take any shortcuts
The last thing Clemson needs right now, from a football perspective, is for the sport to move the goal lines up so they can punch it in more easily. Swinney was able to build a world-class football team because he and his staff did not cut corners. Not to say they are doing that now, but when the sport says you can do that and will not be punished, it is hard not to take advantage of the breaks you get.
In short, playoff expansion to 24 teams would allow 8-4 Clemson teams to regularly be in a position for a berth in the low 20s. Tolerating that, as opposed to trying to be a top-10 seed, will only breed more mediocrity into the program. The end of the Tommy Bowden era of Clemson football was so frustrating for that reason. It is not to say we have come full circle, but that could surely be coming up.
Right now, we are at the crossroads of a fairly peculiar paradox for Clemson. One would think further playoff expansion would help this program, but would it really? Yes, it would make rivalry games with Georgia Tech and South Carolina matter more, as all three teams could be vying for playoff berths in an expanded field more readily than they do now. However, are we celebrating meeting expectations?
In most seasons, Clemson should be a playoff team in a 24-team field. The Tigers have won three national titles, qualified for the playoffs seven times in a decade, and regularly contended for ACC Championships. Any time the Tigers achieved any of those goals was a milestone worth celebrating. The question now is whether getting in as a No. 23 seed after an 8-4 season should still hit the same.
Playoff expansion may give Swinney more staying power at Clemson, but it is not for the right reason.
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