How many wins ESPN predicts for Clemson football, Dabo Swinney in 2024 season
CLEMSON — Clemson football is projected to win 8.5 games in 2024, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
The Tigers rank second out of 17 ACC teams in projected win totals, trailing only Florida State, after finishing with a 9-4 record last year.
Clemson's strength of schedule ranks 26th in the country with the Tigers facing Georgia and South Carolina in non-conference games. That is the second-hardest schedule in the conference, behind only Georgia Tech, which plays Georgia and Notre Dame in non-conference games.
Will Clemson football win the ACC?
The Tigers are given a 19.3% chance of winning the ACC, trailing only Florida State (26.2%). Clemson eyes a return to the championship game after missing out last year after starting the season with a 4-4 record.
The Seminoles won the conference last year but missed the four-team College Football Playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis was injured for the season in Game 11 and FSU struggled against Louisville in the championship game. Louisville (12%), Miami (9.9%) and SMU (9%) have the next-best chances to win the ACC.
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Will Clemson return to the College Football Playoff?
According to ESPN projections, Clemson will be one of the first four teams out of the 12-team playoffs if it doesn't win the ACC. ESPN's power index predicts only one ACC team will make the playoffs with the Tigers having a 26.9% chance of making the expanded playoffs, while Florida State has a 35.9% chance of making it.
These predictions heighten how crucial winning will be when Clemson faces Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida, on Oct. 5. If the Tigers make the College Football Playoff, ESPN gives them a 3.6% chance of making the national championship and a 1.4% chance of winning it.
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: Clemson football: ESPN win, playoff predictions for the Tigers in 2024
