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Swinney Asked if he’d Reconsider Playing SEC Foes to Start Season

When Clemson plays Penn State is Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl, it will mark the eighth time the Tigers have taken on a team from the Big Ten.

In the previous seven meetings vs. the Big Ten, Clemson has posted a 5-2 record, including a 35-10 win over the Nittany Lions in the 1988 Citrus Bowl.

But playing other elite programs like Penn State is not only for bowl games. For years, Clemson has played big-time programs, mostly from the SEC.

In fact, the Tigers opened the 2025 season against LSU and will visit Baton Rouge next year to start the season.