Will Clemson receive College Football Playoff bye? Where Tigers are in latest projections
CLEMSON — Clemson football is on track to make the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.
The No. 9 Tigers (6-1, 5-0 ACC) are coming off their final regular-season open date last week after winning their sixth straight game. They sit atop the ACC over No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0), No. 20 SMU (7-1, 4-0) and No. 17 Pittsburgh (7-0, 3-0). Clemson's only loss came against No. 2 Georgia in Week 1, and the Tigers have only one ranked opponent remaining on their schedule entering Week 10 — Pitt on Nov. 16.
With the new 12-team format for the CFP, Clemson would receive an automatic bid and a first-round bye if it wins the ACC. If not, it can land one of the seven at-large bids and play in the first round. Clemson will host Louisville (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium.
Here is where Clemson stands in the latest projections for the CFP:
Clemson football in latest College Football Playoff projections
ESPN: No. 8
ESPN's Max Olson placed Clemson as the No. 8 seed and Miami as the ACC champion. The Tigers would host No. 9 Tennessee in the first round at Memorial Stadium. The winner would face No. 1 Georgia.
CBS Sports: No. 11
CBS Sports' Jerry Palm dropped Clemson from No. 10 to No. 11 and picked Miami to win the ACC. He projects the Tigers will travel to Austin, Texas, to face No. 6 Texas at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. The winner would take on No. 3 Miami.
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The Athletic: No. 10
The Athletic's Austin Mock projects Clemson will land an at-large bid. He has the Tigers as the No. 10 seed and traveling to South Bend, Indiana, to face No. 7 Notre Dame in the first round. The winner would battle No. 2 Miami.
On3: No. 3
On3's Andy Staples has Clemson winning the ACC and having a first-round bye. The Tigers would face the winner of the first-round game between No. 6 Miami and No. 11 Texas A&M.
Sporting News: No. 8
Sporting News' Bill Bender picked Clemson as the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff with a first-round matchup against No. 9 Tennessee. This game would take place at Memorial Stadium, and the winner would battle No. 1 Oregon in the second round.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Where Clemson football is in CFP projections after open week
