It’s still early in the college football season, but never too early to start assessing the 12-team College Football Playoff picture.

With that in mind, Clemson was featured in Heather Dinich’s “bubble watch” for the 2025 College Football Playoff.

Dinich, ESPN’s lead CFP insider, says the Tigers will be eliminated from playoff contention if they can’t get their offense going.

“The Tigers dropped out of this week’s playoff projection after a second week of ho-hum offense,” Dinich wrote. “The LSU defense had a lot to do with making Clemson one-dimensional in the season opener, but Troy? Some of it could have been the letdown effect after losing a tough opener at home, but this is a veteran offense that has sputtered and stuttered. Clemson trailed 16-0 before scoring the final 27 points to win and avoid utter embarrassment. The Tigers needed the largest comeback the school has seen since 2020 against Boston College. Clemson earned a spot in the playoff last year as a three-loss ACC champ, so the Tigers certainly aren’t eliminated. They will be, though, if they don’t get that offense moving.”

Clemson’s opponent on Saturday – Georgia Tech – also landed in ESPN’s College Football Playoff bubble watch and was pegged as “the enigma” in the ACC.

“With Haynes King in the lineup, Georgia Tech is a tough team capable of building upon last year’s seven-win season under coach Brent Key, but is this team capable of being more than a CFP spoiler? Remember, the Jackets beat Miami last year and pushed Georgia to eight overtimes — in Athens,” Dinich wrote. “This year, they avoid Miami, Florida State and SMU. Even without King, who was sidelined on Saturday with a lower-body injury, the Jackets beat overmatched Gardner-Webb 59-12 and backup quarterback Aaron Philo got some meaningful reps.

“The committee will learn more about both Clemson and Georgia Tech on Saturday when the Jackets host the Tigers — a game ESPN’s FPI gives Georgia Tech a 55.9% chance to win. If that happens, Georgia Tech should be favored in every remaining game — except the regular-season finale against rival Georgia. And — gasp — if Georgia Tech is sitting there on Selection Day having played in the ACC title game and with a lone regular-season loss to Georgia, this “enigma” is suddenly a playoff contender. The Jackets would be a lock with the ACC title, and in high consideration as a two-loss runner-up.”

As for the playoff outlook of ACC teams, Dinich listed Miami and Florida State as the two teams that would be in — if the playoff were today.

Georgia Tech, Clemson and SMU are each listed as having “work to do” – or, as defined by Dinich, being a team that is passing “the eye test (for the most part) and has a chance at winning its conference, which means a guaranteed spot in the playoff.”

Clemson (1-1) and Georgia Tech (2-0) are set to square at the Yellow Jackets’ Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday (12 p.m., ESPN).