National Outlet Circles Most Important 2025 Game for Clemson
By: Staff Report February 3, 2025

A national outlet recently took a look ahead to next season and highlighted the most important game during the 2025 college football campaign for every team in its way-too-early top 25.

For Clemson, CBS Sports circled the rivalry matchup at South Carolina (Saturday, Nov. 29) as the Tigers’ most important game in 2025.

“Clemson is well positioned to make it back to the ACC Championship Game,” CBS Sports’ Will Backus wrote. “The Tigers’ biggest challenge next year likely comes out of conference when they take on in-state rival South Carolina in the regular-season finale. This could also serve as a key game for either team’s College Football Playoff hopes.”

This past season’s 17-14 loss to the Gamecocks was the second straight at home for Clemson and the first time that has happened since it lost two straight home games to its rival in 2010 and 2012. Carolina ended Clemson’s 40-game home winning streak with a one-point win at Death Valley in 2022.

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.

Coming off its eighth ACC Championship in the last 10 seasons, and its first College Football Playoff berth since 2020 (seventh overall CFP berth), Clemson (10-4, 8-1 ACC in 2024) was ranked No. 8 in CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25 ahead of the 2025 season.

“The culture is in Dabo Swinney’s locker room!” CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd wrote. “Remember that old my-way-or-transfer-highway assertion? Dabo finally broke down and imported three players from the portal. It should be fun watching Miami and Clemson battle for the ACC. Cade Klubnik will be a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate as he returns after throwing for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns in an ACC title-winning season. The wide receivers room is loaded. However, the rush defense was near the bottom of the conference. Nevertheless, pencil in Clemson for a playoff berth.”