Ahead of the 2025 campaign, a national outlet named the best college football team in each state entering the upcoming season.

In a recent article published by CBS Sports, the Clemson Tigers were pegged as the Palmetto State’s top team over their in-state rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Here’s what CBS Sports’ David Cobb had to say:

“South Carolina won the head-to-head meeting last season to claim the 2024 Palmetto State title. But this is about who will be better in 2025. The Gamecocks have some high-end star power, but Clemson is better-positioned to compete for a national championship. Rationale? See Bud Elliott’s 2025 Blue Chip Ratio.”

Though Clemson lost to South Carolina last year, the Tigers have won eight of the last 10 matchups against the Gamecocks dating back to 2014, with the lone losses to South Carolina during that span coming in the last two games at Death Valley (2022, 2024).

The rivalry will reignite on Saturday, Nov. 29 when Clemson travels to Columbia to face South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium (12 p.m., ABC or ESPN).

Clemson has won each of its last five road games at South Carolina across the 2015-23 seasons, and a win would give the Tigers six straight road wins against the Gamecocks for the first time since winning in Columbia six straight times across the 1989-99 seasons.

Clemson holds the upper hand in the rivalry with South Carolina by a wide margin, as the Tigers lead the all-time series, 73-44-4. Clemson’s 73 all-time wins against South Carolina are the program’s most against any opponent.

As for some other states with ACC teams, CBS Sports picked Miami as the best college football team in the state of Florida, while Louisville was picked as the best team in the state of Kentucky and Boston College claimed the honors in the state of Massachusetts, with Duke getting the nod in the state of North Carolina.

Clemson’s Week 1 opponent, LSU, was given the edge over Tulane in the state of Louisiana:

“Brian Kelly is still trying to meet lofty expectations entering Year 4 at LSU. But with 29 victories, he’s done enough to keep the Tigers just above a strong Tulane program. This race could flip if LSU loses at Clemson in Week 1 and Tulane wins at Ole Miss on Sept. 20.”