Clemson Tigers Get Lowest Seed in College Football Playoff Poised to Face Texas

The Clemson Tigers received the lowest seed in the CFP, and will be on the road to face Texas

Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to an official during the third quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers were able to pull off a big win against the SMU Mustangs in the ACC Title Game to not only win their conference, but an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff. 

It was a great game for the Tigers on Saturday night. Clemson got off to a big lead early, but a good team in the Mustangs came storming back to tie the game late. However, with just 16 seconds left, Cade Klubnik led the offense down the field quickly into field goal position and Nolan Hauser was able to knock in a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer to win it. 

Klubnik had a big-time performance with four passing touchdowns, as he threw three touchdowns in the first quarter. 

Winning the conference was again was a great accomplishment, but getting an automatic bid into the CFP was the main goal for the Tigers. 

The big discussion was about who would grab the three and four spots with the three and four seeds getting the bye week. The Arizona State Sun Devils, Boise State Broncos, and Clemson were all vying for the bye week, as all three of those teams would have loved to have the bye.  

It was the Broncos who ended up with the third seed, followed by Arizona State also getting the bye. 

The Tigers not getting the bye is certainly unfortunate for a team that is a bit banged up. Clemson finished ranked 16th, and will be the lowest team in the CFP at the 12 seed. The Tigers will be facing off against the Texas Longhorns, as they got the coveted fifth spot. 

Based on the bracket, the winner of this matchup will face the Sun Devils in the second round. 

Clemson should be very happy to be in the CFP, and they are going to be tested by a very good Longhorns team in the first-round. The Tigers are (0-2) against the SEC this season with losses to the Georgia Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks. 

It’s certainly not an ideal draw for Clemson, but with their talented quarterback under center and Dabo Swinney on the sideline, they will certainly have a chance.