Three Things That Need to Happen For Clemson Football's CFP Push

Heading into the summer, Clemson football has many goals, but one is to get back to the top of the college football world.

However, after a 7-6 season in 2025, one that had the Tigers as high as the No. 4 team in the country with high expectations, how does head coach Dabo Swinney do that?

There are a few numbers to keep in mind with Clemson’s success for 2026. That comes from what the program struggled in its seasons without any hardware and comparing it to the ones with College Football Playoff appearances.

Swinney should have the team to do so, but this is what needs to happen for the Tigers to raise their ceiling on the 2026 season.

Run The Football A Lot Better

Clemson running back Gideon Davidson (8) will play an important role in the Tigers' ground game in 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Especially at the beginning of 2025, Clemson struggled to run the ball. By the end of the season, the Tigers averaged 3.9 yards per carry, 98th in the country in doing so.

Clemson is a much different team when its able to run the ball, just look at the season that it made the College Football Playoff in 2024. Led by Phil Mafah, among others, the Tigers averaged 5.1 yards per carry, 25th in the FBS and good enough for an ACC Championship team.

The last time the team went to the national championship, the offense had the best yards per carry in the country at 6.4.

Fortunately, the run game is expected to change under Chad Morris, who is in his first season back after taking the offense to new heights in his last tenure. Expected starter Gideon Davidson had a great spring game at the end of March, and SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. should see snaps throughout the season as well to flex his speed.

There will be a greater emphasis under Chad Morris, meaning that this change could be possible. If it is, the Clemson offense will be revolutionized, but that’s the only thing that needs to happen.

A Strong Week 1 Showing

All eyes will be on Lane Kiffin in his LSU debut against Clemson on Sept. 5. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Clemson has lost its opening game over the last three seasons, to Duke, Georgia and LSU, respectively. Now, the Tigers go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sept. 5 to play the second game of the home-and-home.

But the stakes are raised. Lane Kiffin will be coaching his first game for the Bayou Bengals, and his No. 1-ranked transfer portal class has Clemson as a big underdog in the first game of the season.

This has the same vibe to it as Georgia in Atlanta two years ago, a juggernaut opponent with a chance to prove itself. The Tigers don’t necessarily have to win to prove they’re a great team in 2026, but if they’re able to put LSU on its back foot throughout the contest, it would be a positive takeaway for Swinney with a lot of roster turmoil.

A good start to the season would set the tone, similarly to how the Tigers fell in 2023 and 2025 after poor losses.

More Turnovers

Clemson transfer Corey Myrick (22) will look to be a ball hawk in the Tigers' secondary next season. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen had a goal to record at least three turnovers per game. While no team in the FBS averaged three per contest, Clemson wasn’t necessarily close, averaging 1.3 per contest.

The Tigers’ 17 turnovers in 2025 were 58th in the country, and that will need to be raised if they want another shot at an ACC Championship or the College Football Playoff.

Just look at teams like Duke, the eventual ACC champion, and Miami, a national championship finalist. The Hurricanes finished with 25, the Blue Devils finished with 24, and it brought plenty of success to both programs.

Clemson’s number doesn’t even need to be raised a lot: an average of 1.9 in 2024 was enough for a postseason spot. In Swinney’s last national championship appearance, his group averaged 2.0 per contest.

That’s why he got players like Elliot Washington II, Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III in the portal: to play better complementary football. The Tigers didn’t do that well last season, but if there’s more rhythm with both units, that would bode well for their chances to have a great 2026 season.

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