Clemson football faced an uphill battle to make its seventh College Football Playoff but rode some fortunate circumstances and late-game magic to claim its spot as the ACC champion. The Tigers may boast the second-most appearances in CFP history, but given the school's four-year absence from the tournament, they had a lot to prove in their first-round matchup.
Though Clemson's season ended with a 38-24 defeat against Texas, the performance affirmed Dabo Swinney's program as a national contender. It also revealed the Tigers' path back to elite status.
The Tigers started and finished the game strong, scoring a touchdown on their first drive and cutting a 21-point lead to just seven points early in the fourth quarter. They also had two chances to get back into the game late, most notably a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 7:24 left in the fourth quarter. That late turnover on downs killed the last of the "team of destiny" energy the Tigers the matchup.
When Clemson kept Texas out of the end zone for the entire third quarter and cut the lead to 31-24, it was worth wondering whether Cade Klubnik -- who arguably saved the season with a game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter at Pitt — could tap into the clutch gene once again. Klubnik was exceptional, but ultimately the entire team effort fell just short of where Clemson needed to be to match a true contender like Texas.
Even with the disappointing finish, the Tigers justified their appearance in the CFP -- even if it required some extremely unlikely events to go in the Tigers' favor.
So how do the Tigers go from worthy CFP participant to true national title contender? They took a step in that direction earlier this week with a pair of high-profile transfer portal additions for the 2025 roster.
Swinney has historically shied away from the portal, considering his locker room a better option to replace players. But as the landscape continues to shift, the Tigers have more roster spots to fill. That has led the Clemson coach to soften his stance on transfers. The Tigers have added a gifted wide receiver and a talented edge rusher in this portal cycle.
Clemson should also welcome back many of the key pieces from this year's team. Freshman wide receiver T.J. Moore continued his late-season breakout with a team-high nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Fellow wide receiver Bryant Wesco and running back Keith Adams were two more young contributors. As long as Clemson retains its talented young core, there is a great opportunity to use Saturday's defeat as a building block for another title run in the future.
"We'll build on this. It's a great experience for our guys. They know they're good enough. And most of our guys are back," Swinney told reporters after the game.
Clemson has built a solid foundation without the major portal overhauls we see elsewhere across the country. Swinney and his staff have traditionally been on the positive side of player evaluation and development and appear to have a large group of unique prospects who can go toe-to-toe with the most talented players in the country. That allows the Tigers to suppliment their roster with transfer talent, rather than depend on it for success.
The Tigers need look no further than Texas to see that approach working well. The Longhorns recruit and develop at a high level -- particularly along the lines of scrimmage. Yet Sarkisian and his staff still tap the portal for instant impact additions. Last offseason the Longhorns added transfer help at spots like wide receiver and edge rusher, just like Clemson is doing going into 2025.
Clemson entered 2024 fresh off its worst record since 2010 and in the midst of a three-year CFP drought. Many wondered if the program was falling behind the times as conference realignment, NIL, playoff expansion and the transfer portal brought hyperspeed changes to the sport.
But Clemson's performance on the field Saturday showed it's not a college football relic -- and they could be on a trajectory to return to elite status sooner than later.