Clemson Pegged as ‘Most Pivotal Game’ for 1 ACC Foe
By: Gavin Oliver February 16, 2026

After releasing its way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2026 college football season last month, CBS Sports recently went through and projected the “most pivotal game” for each of those teams.

Clemson didn’t make CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25, but four other ACC teams did – Miami (No. 13), Louisville (No. 16), SMU (No. 23) and Virginia Tech (No. 24).

And for Miami, CBS Sports circled the matchup against Clemson as the most pivotal game for the Hurricanes in 2026.

On Oct. 3 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, the Tigers – a seven-time College Football Playoff participant (and two-time CFP champion) – will host the Hurricanes, who are coming off an appearance in last season’s CFP national championship game.

Clemson plays Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)

“Not to be confused with Miami’s toughest game next season, the trip to Clemson caps a brutal three-game road stretch to open ACC play,” CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford wrote. “Clemson remains something of an unknown after Dabo Swinney replaced several members of his coaching staff while sticking to a conservative approach in the transfer portal this offseason. If Miami is tripped up by the Tigers, winning the ACC becomes significantly more difficult.”

The all-time series between Clemson and Miami is tied at 7-7, but the Tigers own a 6-3 advantage in the series since Miami joined the ACC prior to the 2004 season. The Hurricanes won the most recent meeting — a 28-20, double-overtime victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Oct. 21, 2023

As for the other ACC teams in CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25, CBS Sports pegged Georgia Tech (Nov. 7) as the most pivotal game for Louisville, and then Louisville (Sept. 19) as the most pivotal game for SMU. SMU (Nov. 7) was picked as the most pivotal game for Virginia Tech.

For Clemson’s archrival, South Carolina — ranked No. 25 in CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25 — the contest vs. Texas A&M (Nov. 7) was pegged as the most pivotal game for the Gamecocks.  

“It’s hard to forget the 27-point halftime lead the Gamecocks squandered at Texas A&M in 2025, a black eye for Shane Beamer during a lackluster fourth season,” Crawford wrote. “Based on the timing of this one and Beamer’s warming seat, South Carolina could face immense pressure with bowl eligibility up in the air.”