National Analyst Gives Clemson’s Win-Loss Prediction
By: Gavin Oliver July 3, 2025

How does this national analyst see Clemson’s 2025 campaign playing out?

Chip Patterson of CBS Sports recently predicted the schedule for the Tigers in the upcoming season.

Patterson has Clemson going 10-2 during the regular season and making the 12-team College Football Playoff for the second straight year.

“I feel like I’m giving a worst-case scenario. I really do. I’ve got the Tigers at 10-2,” he said. “I’ve got them taking care of business against LSU in that opener. I think home field is just going to be so massive. And then I’ve got them just running off wins against a very manageable first half of the schedule, and then you get SMU at home.”

Patterson predicts the Tigers to start the season 9-0 before losing two of their final three regular season games – at Louisville on Friday, Nov. 14, and at South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The Cardinals and Gamecocks handed Clemson two of its three regular season losses last year, both at Death Valley.

“This is where it gets interesting,” Patterson said. “So, I’m going to hand them the loss [at Louisville], because I think that Jeff Brohm and Louisville might just have Clemson’s number. We saw the Cards go into Death Valley last year and hand Clemson one of the more stunning home losses. Had the fans hitting the exits before the fourth quarter. And then in a similar vein here, I’ve got South Carolina getting a win in the regular season finale. But that’s still 7-1 in conference play.”

Despite projecting Clemson to lose those games, Patterson is still picking the Tigers to win the ACC and make the playoff.

“If they can stay healthy, they will enter the College Football Playoff as one of those teams out of the 12 that I think has the goods to be able to go and win it all,” he said. “So back to the CFP, I say yes, but not with an unblemished record. There might be a few traps along the way.”

Chip Patterson’s Prediction

2025 Clemson Football Schedule:

  • Aug. 30: vs. LSU — WIN
  • Sept. 6: vs. Troy — WIN
  • Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech — WIN
  • Sept. 20: vs. Syracuse — WIN
  • Sept. 27: Open Date
  • Oct. 4: at North Carolina — WIN
  • Oct. 11: at Boston College — WIN
  • Oct. 18: vs. SMU — WIN
  • Oct. 25: Open Date
  • Nov. 1: vs. Duke — WIN
  • Nov. 8: vs. Florida State — WIN
  • Nov. 14 (Fri.): at Louisville — LOSS
  • Nov. 22: vs. Furman — WIN
  • Nov. 29: at South Carolina – LOSS