College Football News writer Peter Fiutak makes a win total prediction for Clemson in 2025

USA Today

15 hours ago

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Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson football heads into another season with playoff hopes — but the betting line isn't quite as high as the national chatter suggests. The Tigers' win total is set at 9.5, which they've only topped once in the past three seasons after dominating that mark during their mid-2010s run.
College Football News' Pete Fiutak actually places his projection a tick lower at nine wins, yet he isn't dismissing what this roster can do. 'The Tigers will know right out of the gate if they're for real,' Fiutak said, pointing to the huge early showdown with LSU. From there, he sees enough tricky matchups to test Clemson's focus but thinks this team can still reach the College Football Playoff without an ACC title if it handles its business.
A major piece of the puzzle is whether the defensive front can look more like the unit that anchored Clemson's last national championship. Fiutak highlights how in 2018 'no one averaged over four yards per carry' against that front, but last season the Tigers were gashed on the ground far too often. He noted that four teams — Texas, Georgia, South Carolina and Louisville — all averaged more than six yards per carry and beat Clemson as a result.
On offense, Fiutak says the line has to be the foundation. Four starters return, with Blake Miller and Walker Parks both landing in his top 10 Clemson players. 'The skill guys get all of the love and attention, but if Clemson is going to have an expected huge season offensively, it starts with the line loaded with All-ACC-caliber talents,' Fiutak said.
The backfield is another question mark. Freshman Gideon Davidson is viewed as a potential difference-maker, especially if Jay Haynes can't bounce back from his knee injury. Fiutak thinks Cade Klubnik's growth as a runner helps, but Clemson will need Davidson to be ready if they want to lean on the ground game late in the year.
In the bigger picture, Fiutak frames 2025 as a test for Swinney's patient, recruit-and-develop blueprint. 'Maybe this is how you're really supposed to do it… Maybe it just took a few years to get here,' he said. For a program chasing its old standard in a new era, Clemson has a chance to prove its way still works.
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