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Here's every possible scenario for Clemson football to play in a bowl game and where

christina long, greenville news
·4 min read

A week ago, making a bowl game seemed like it could be a challenge for Clemson football. The Tigers were fresh off back-to-back losses, and they were staring down a November schedule with two ranked opponents, an archrival and an inconsistent team that has played spoiler.

After Clemson (5-4, 2-4 ACC) knocked off No. 12 Notre Dame 31-23, however, a bowl game feels more certain. While not perfect, the Tigers got past one of the biggest remaining challenges on the schedule. Now, they just need to find one win with home games against Georgia Tech (5-4, 4-2) on Saturday (noon, ABC), UNC (7-2, 3-2) on Nov. 18 and South Carolina (3-6) on Nov. 25 to make a bowl. Exceeding the six-win minimum needed for a postseason berth also feels probable.

A lot could change around the ACC between now and selection day, and there's no guarantee that a team with a certain record will make a particular bowl. Nevertheless, here's a look at what the Tigers might be playing for.

If Clemson goes 6-6

Let's say Clemson can only manage one more win in its next three games. The Tigers would likely fall into one of the ACC's Tier 2 bowl tie-ins. That means the:

  • Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, vs. an SEC, AAC or Pac-12 opponent

  • Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama, vs. an SEC or AAC opponent

  • First Responders Bowl in Dallas vs. a Big 12, C-USA or AAC opponent

That's also the order in which those bowls select their teams. It's too early to know what other 6-6 or 7-5 ACC teams there will be, but given Clemson's brand power, the Tigers could be an earlier pick. It seems unlikely they'd fall all the way to the First Responders Bowl, which featured two 6-6 Group of Five teams last season.

The Birmingham Bowl featured 8-4 Group of Five teams last season. It seems that an ACC team in that game would probably be 6-6 or 7-5 Considering all of that, if Clemson made a Tier 2 game at 6-6, the Gasparilla Bowl seems most likely.

If Clemson goes 7-5

Going 7-5 could put Clemson in a Tier 1 or a Tier 2 bowl. Last season, two seven-win ACC teams — Syracuse and Louisville — made Tier 1 bowls, and another — Wake Forest — made the Tier 2 Gasparilla Bowl. Based on the records of last season's participants, a 7-5 Clemson could be in the:

  • Fenway Bowl in Boston vs. an AAC opponent

  • Pinstripe Bowl in New York vs. a Big Ten opponent

  • Holiday Bowl in San Diego vs. a Pac-12 opponent

  • Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa vs. an SEC, AAC or Pac-12 opponent

  • Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham vs. an SEC or AAC opponent

There are some Tier 1 bowls that hosted 8-4 teams last season but could choose a 7-5 Clemson over another ACC team that's 8-4. Again, the Clemson brand is pretty appealing to a bowl that wants its game well-attended and watched on a lot of TVs.

If Clemson goes 8-4

Let's say Clemson doesn't lose another game in the regular season. That could mean a bid to one of the following bowls:

  • Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, vs. an SEC opponent

  • Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, vs. an SEC opponent

  • ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa vs. a Big Ten or SEC opponent

  • Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, vs. a Pac-12 opponent

  • Holiday Bowl in San Diego vs. a Pac-12 opponent

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All of these games featured 8-4 teams last season. That doesn't mean they'll all have 8-4 teams this time around, but it does indicate they'd be possible for an eight-win Clemson squad.

The only bowls likely off the table for Clemson at this point are the Orange Bowl and the Pop-Tarts Bowl (formerly the Cheez-It Bowl). The Orange Bowl gets either the ACC champion if it doesn't make the playoff or the highest-ranked ACC team that isn't in the playoff. The way things stand now, Florida State should win the title and make the playoff, putting Louisville in the Orange Bowl.

After that, the Pop-Tarts Bowl gets first pick. It could choose an 8-4 Clemson, but a nine-win UNC feels more likely. Clemson played this game in 2021 and bowls tend to avoid repeating recent participants when possible.

Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Every possible scenario for Clemson football to play in a bowl game