The hype train for Clemson football is barreling down the tracks — but one national analyst is throwing up a massive stop sign.
Former ESPN voice and current Fox Sports personality Chris “The Bear” Fallica isn’t sold on the Tigers as a College Football Playoff lock. On the Bear Bets show, Fallica made it clear: he’s “pumping the breaks on this Clemson love affair.”
“What did they really accomplish last year?” Fallica asked. “They got blown out in the opener against an SEC team. They were noncompetitive in a home loss to Louisville. They lost to South Carolina at home. They stole a win at Pitt they had no business winning. And in the ACC title game, SMU basically spotted them points with turnovers.”
Yes, Clemson finished 9-3 in the regular season, won the ACC Championship, and earned a playoff berth — but Fallica sees more smoke than fire. He points to last year’s gaudy turnover margin as a major factor in their success, one that’s tough to replicate.
“Credit them for taking care of the ball, but will that happen again? Who knows,” Fallica said.
Vegas has Clemson’s 2025 win total set at 9.5, but Fallica believes hitting double digits will be “extremely hard.” The roadblocks? A season-opening showdown with LSU, tricky trips to South Carolina and Louisville, an SMU rematch, and road games against always-annoying Georgia Tech and a retooled Boston College under Bill O’Brien.
“I could see another 9-3 regular season,” Fallica predicted. “Two nonconference losses to the SEC teams, one ACC loss, then maybe they win the ACC title again. But 10 wins? That’s a grind.”
It’s a rare dose of skepticism in an offseason filled with optimism around Death Valley — and it sets the stage for Clemson to either prove the doubters wrong or validate Fallica’s “pump the brakes” warning.