On Monday, January 27th the ACC released the full 2025 schedules for all the teams in the conference. This included Clemson who now has a clear picture for what is to come next season. There are high expectations for the Tigers as usual. This season though many expect the Tigers to be a true national championship contender for the first time in five years. In order to get there though Dabo Swinney’s team has to get through their 12 opponents in the regular season.
Clemson 2025 Schedule Breakdown
Tough September
Similar to the 2024 season, Clemson will open 2025 against an SEC opponent. This season the Tigers will play LSU in week one. This will be one of the most important games taking place early in the season. Both Tiger squads are expected to enter the season ranked top 10 in the nation. They also both have early contenders for the Heisman in Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier. It should be an exciting way to start the season. Week two Clemson will play Troy out of the Sun Belt in a tune-up game before starting conference play.
The last two weeks of the opening month the Tigers will begin their ACC schedule. First up will be Georgia Tech who will be in its third year under head coach Brent Key. The Yellow Jackets return a few key players on offense including two quarterbacks, Haynes King and Aaron Philo, who have seen significant playing time. King, Philo, along with running back Jamal Haynes help make Georgia Tech a potential dark horse to win the ACC.
Next, Clemson will play another rising program in Syracuse. At this point in the offseason, the Orange look to be losing more than they are gaining talent-wise. Second-year head coach Fran Brown has instilled some hope back in the Syracuse football program though that has not been there in a long time.
October Conference Gauntlet
Moving into October, the Tigers will be getting deeper into their conference schedule. After the Syracuse game, Clemson will get a bye before facing North Carolina the first week of October. This will put Swinney against six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick for the first time ever.
Belichick won’t be the only former NFL head coach Clemson will face in October. After playing the Tar Heels the Tigers will meet Bill O’Brien’s Boston College team. In 2024, O’Brien’s first season, he led the Eagles to bowl eligibility. The program will look to build off of this going into next season.
Up next will be a rematch of the 2024 ACC Championship game when Clemson takes on SMU. Returning quarterback Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs will be looking to build off a run to the college football playoffs last season. Getting some revenge on the Tigers for the conference championship loss will surely be something on their mind.
November Fight to Finish
Clemson will start the last month of the regular season against Duke. The Blue Devils football program has improved over the last few seasons. This upward trend continued even after losing head coach Mike Elko and star quarterback Riley Leonard. In 2024 they finished with nine wins making it three straight seasons with at least eight wins for Duke. The Blue Devils will be looking to get two straight wins over the Tigers as they keep rising.
Next for the Tigers will be Florida State. The Seminoles had a very disappointing 2024 season winning just two games all year. They are hoping for major improvement in 2025 with former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos transferring in.
After the Florida State matchup Clemson will get a chance at revenge against Louisville. The Cardinals beat Clemson late in the 2024 season and almost derailed the Tigers’ championship hopes. Louisville has dangerous weapons returning such as running back Isaac Brown and wide receiver Caullin Lacey. They will be linked up with USC transfer quarterback Miller Moss making the Cards a sleeper to win the ACC.
Following that matchup, the Tigers will face FCS opponent Furman. This will be another tune-up game before facing arch-rival South Carolina. The Gamecocks have quarterback LaNorris Sellers returning who torched the Clemson defense in the last meeting. South Carolina is also predicted to be a top-10 team in 2025. This game could have huge CFP implications for the second year in a row.
2025 Expectations
If predictions are correct Clemson will have four matchups against ranked opponents. Three of which are top 15 teams in LSU, SMU, and South Carolina. The schedule is not easy to get through, but for a team with national championship expectations, it should be manageable.
The Tigers can’t lose more than two games in 2025 for a sure chance at the playoffs. Three losses are only okay if Clemson can get into the conference championship game and win like in 2024. Swinney has gone all in on his roster for the upcoming season from coaches to transfers. It will be disappointing for the Tigers not to be competing for a National Championship in January of 2026.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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