ESPN analyst Heather Dinich went out on a limb this week, ahead of the 2026 college football season, to make a bold prediction regarding Clemson.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Dinich stated she will be “absolutely shocked” if the Tigers are not better this season after last year’s disappointing 7-6 campaign.

Dinich then took things further, predicting Clemson to face Miami in the 2026 ACC title game.

“I will be shocked – absolutely shocked – if Clemson is not better this year,” Dinich said, “and playing – I’m going to go out on a limb here – playing Miami in the ACC Championship Game.”

Though Clemson is coming off its second-worst full season of head coach Dabo Swinney’s tenure, Dinich sees the Tigers as being on an “upwards trajectory.”

The reason she expects improvement from Clemson is twofold – she supports the offensive coordinator hire of Chad Morris, and she believes the defense will make strides in the second season of the system under defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

“I think they have to, obviously, find a quarterback, like a lot of these other teams that we’re talking about here. But I like the hire of Chad Morris as offensive coordinator. Second year under Tom Allen, defensive coordinator,” Dinich said.

“I think they’re on the upwards trajectory. They get Miami at home this year [on Oct. 3], which is a big deal. So, it’s tricky. But they’ve gotta be better.”

Despite the optimistic take from Dinich, Clemson is not ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2011.

Dinich seemed to agree with the Tigers being unranked, saying they need to prove themselves on the field.

“They gotta play their way in,” she said. “They gotta earn it.”

It’s a vast change from this time last year, when Clemson debuted at No. 4 in the AP Preseason Poll. However, Clemson did appear in the preseason Coaches Poll released earlier this month, coming in at No. 23.