The national media countdown to the 2026 college football season is officially underway, and Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers find themselves squarely in the crosshairs of the sport's biggest offseason debates.
CBS Sports just dropped its 100-days-out preview, and the Tigers are front and center in the conversation. After a tough 7-6 season in 2025, the second-worst mark in Swinney’s legendary run, Clemson is being called one of the nation’s biggest wildcards. But if history tells us anything, it’s that you never count out the Tigers when their backs are against the wall.
The ACC's Bizarre New Reality
CBS Sports zeroed in on a wild new ACC landscape. For over a decade, Clemson and Florida State owned the conference, racking up 14 of the last 15 ACC titles. But after Miami’s surprise run to the national championship game last year, the road to the ACC crown suddenly goes through Coral Gables. The Tigers aren’t used to chasing, but that just makes the hunt even sweeter.
CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson posed a glaring question: “After Miami’s success, how long will it take Florida State and Clemson to bounce back?”
Patterson points out that while both Clemson and Florida State are dealing with their own frustrations, the Tigers’ situation is nowhere near as bleak as the mess unfolding in Tallahassee.
“For Clemson, the situation is noticeably less dire, as the program pursues the big wins needed to reclaim a place at the table," Patterson wrote. "But while Clemson wrestles with the discomfort of finishing outside the top 25 for the first time since 2010 after going 7-6, Florida State has just seven wins total across the last two seasons combined with Mike Norvell... right now it’s tough to tell if this is a program that’s just a half-step away from returning to greatness or a distressed asset in need of total overhaul.”
A Prime-Time Circus in Baton Rouge
The Tigers don’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. Clemson kicks off 2026 with a massive Week 1 showdown at LSU in Baton Rouge—a true heavyweight battle to set the tone for the season.
CBS Sports already has this one circled as one of the top non-conference games of the year. And with Lane Kiffin making his LSU debut, all eyes will be glued to Baton Rouge. It’s the perfect stage for Clemson to crash the party and remind the nation who built Death Valley.
Kiffin’s wild exit from Ole Miss and LSU’s all-in approach have dominated headlines, with the Tigers in purple and gold throwing big money at coaches and transfers to build a superteam. But on September 5, under the lights in Death Valley South, it’s Clemson’s chance to spoil the party and seize the national spotlight right out of Kiffin’s hands.
Trending Up: Projections & Defining Dates
Even after last year’s bumps in the road, the experts aren’t sleeping on Clemson. CBS Sports’ post-spring rankings have the Tigers all the way up to No. 26 in the nation—a huge leap of 28 spots from where they finished in 2025. The message is clear: Clemson is back in the mix.
To get back in the playoff hunt, Clemson has to run a gauntlet down the stretch. CBS Sports spotlighted two games that could define the Tigers’ season:
- Sept. 25: at California (A tricky Friday night road test)
- Oct. 3: vs. Miami (The ultimate home litmus test against the conference favorite)
The table is set, the doubters are loud, and the Tigers’ march back to ACC glory kicks off in just 100 days.
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