In the eyes of ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, the 2025 season will be a triumphant return to the national stage for the Clemson Tigers. His final preseason College Football Playoff bracket maps out a gauntlet of epic showdowns and rivalries.
But in the end, he predicts the spectacular run will end in familiar heartbreak.
McElroy's official forecast has Clemson reaching the national championship game, only to fall to the Texas Longhorns in a rematch of last season's playoff classic.
Beating Miami... Twice
The journey begins with dominance in the ACC. McElroy predicts Clemson will earn the No. 2 overall seed after defeating Miami in the conference championship game.
Their reward? A first-round bye and a quarterfinal matchup in the Orange Bowl against... the very same Miami Hurricanes.
"Clemson beat Miami in the ACC Championship Game in our projections. I think they do it again in this game," McElroy said, picking the Tigers to win the rematch.
A Semifinal Showdown with Alabama
A victory over their rival would set up a monumental semifinal clash with No. 6 seed Alabama. In a testament to his belief in Clemson's current roster, McElroy picked the Tigers to knock off his alma mater.
"Clemson just has so many pieces back from a year ago," McElroy explained. "I think in this scenario with an elite quarterback, elite weapons at wide receiver, just a few more known commodities than Alabama at this point. I’ll take Clemson over Bama."
Heartbreak in the Title Game
McElroy's predicted dream run comes to a halt at the final hurdle. He has the Tigers facing No. 4 seed Texas for the national title, with the Longhorns once again proving to be too much.
"It just wasn’t enough [for Clemson last year]. I don’t think it will be enough in this scenario as well," McElroy concluded. "We are taking the Texas Longhorns to win the 2025 national championship game over the Clemson Tigers. I’m just way too enamored with some of the star power that this Texas team has."