Troy head coach Gerad Parker had praise for No. 8 Clemson following its comeback 27-16 victory over the Trojans on Saturday at Death Valley.

Parker — whose team led the Tigers 16-0 midway through the second quarter and 16-3 at halftime, before being outscored 24-0 in the second half – believes Clemson is a playoff team.

“I think, for us, there’s a little bit more faith and belief in our football team to come over here and play what I believe is a playoff team,” Parker told reporters following the game. “I’ve been around it enough now and got enough gray in my beard to know what championship teams look like. That’s a playoff football team if they continue to improve, and for us to go toe-to-toe with it tells you something.”

Parker, now in his second season as Troy’s head coach following a run as one of the nation’s top offensive coordinators, including the 2023 season at Notre Dame, explained why he’s confident that Clemson is a playoff team.

“Nobody cares about my opinion, but I know this — when you turn on the tape and you see a defensive front and what they can solve and do in the defense – they’re going to be in games because of that,” Parker said. “Their offense will continue to improve and play off of that great defense, and that’s why I believe they will be there.”