In the preseason, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum was among the analysts who were singing Clemson’s praises and lauding the Tigers as a bona fide national title contender in 2025.
“I think they’re a sure thing to get back [to the College Football Playoff], and they may even be a legitimate shot at winning the title,” Finebaum said back in July. “They have, in my mind, the best quarterback in the country in Cade Klubnik. They have an elite defense with perhaps three No. 1 [first round] picks on there.
“And Dabo Swinney, even though he’s fallen off the face of the earth for a while, he’s back now and I think this is his best team since his last national championship appearance in ’19.