Three bold predictions for Clemson football’s 2024-25 season

Clemson beats Florida State

Florida State and Clemson are the overwhelming favorites to win the ACC. The media voted for FSU to take the crown by 51 votes over Clemson. Between Clemson and the next two teams — Miami and NC State — there was a gap of over 300 votes. In essence, the game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium is the ACC Championship.

With Jordan Travis, the Seminoles squeaked by with an overtime win. But now, the star quarterback is a New York Jet. In fact, FSU returns only 58 percent of its team production from last season. In addition to their quarterback, the Seminoles have lost their top-3 receivers, starting running back, and six of their top ten tacklers from 2023.

However, they do have the seventh-best transfer class going into the season. FSU is bringing in 10 four-star transfers, including former Tiger DJ Uiagalelei. By the end of the season, Florida State may be a legitimate top-10 team in the country. If Clemson were to play them in November, FSU might have had the advantage. But what will the Seminoles look like at the beginning of the season? Well, we got the answer yesterday when Georgia Tech upset the Seminoles in Ireland.  

The one problem with rebuilding via the transfer portal is getting the players to settle into the new system, teammates, class schedules, etc. They’ve only played with each other for less than a year. How do they react in the face of adversity? Luckily for Clemson, it draws FSU early in the season. Before the Seminoles play Clemson, they will have played Georgia Tech, Boston College, Memphis, Cal, and SMU. That’s not exactly the hardest stretch of games. Their first test, their first time facing adversity, is against Clemson.

On the other hand, the Tigers played the No. 1 team in the country, Georgia, right off the bat. Then they take on NC State four games later. And sure, Clemson is only returning 70 percent of its team, but every single one has been on the team for more than a year. They’ve gone through the fire together. They all know what last season’s 9-4 record felt like. When push comes to shove, who will break first, Florida State or Clemson? I’d put my money on the latter.