Clemson football trending toward Texas bowl game in latest projections

Clemson football is bowl-eligible for a 27th straight year after blowing out FCS Furman at home and earning its sixth win of the 2025 season.

Now, coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers could be in position for a second-tier ACC bowl if they upset rival South Carolina on the road Saturday and finish 7-5.

Here are the latest projections as of Monday:

The Athletic’s Clemson bowl projection

• Sun Bowl vs. Arizona State (Big 12)
• Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Athletic’s full bowl projections

ESPN’s Clemson bowl projections

• Gasparilla Bowl vs. South Florida (American)
• Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
• Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• Sun Bowl vs. Arizona (Big 12)
• Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)

ESPN’s full bowl projections

CBS Sports’ Clemson bowl projection

• Fenway Bowl vs. Army (American)
• Fenway Park in Boston
• Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

CBS Sports’ full bowl projections

On3 Sports’ Clemson bowl projection

• Sun Bowl vs. Arizona State (Big 12)
• Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)

On3 Sports’ full bowl projections

Sports Illustrated’s Clemson bowl projection

• Sun Bowl vs. Arizona (Big 12)
• Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)

Sports Illustrated’s full bowl projections

Athlon Sports’ Clemson bowl projection

• Fenway Bowl vs. Memphis (American)
• Fenway Park in Boston
• Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Athlon Sports’ full bowl projections

Refresher on bowl game tie-ins for Clemson, ACC

The ACC has formal affiliations with 10 different bowl games for the 2025 season.

Once the College Football Playoff field is set on Sunday, Dec. 7, the conference and its bowl partners will select teams “based on several factors, including avoiding repeat appearances and matchups, regular-season win-loss records, and geographic proximity,” per the ACC.

Here are the ACC’s bowl game “tiers” for 2025.

• Group I: Holiday Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, Gator Bowl
• Group II: Pinstripe Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Sun Bowl
• Group III: Military Bowl, Fenway Bowl, Birmingham Bowl, Gasparilla Bowl

Clemson is expected to fall into a second-tier or third-tier bowl game.

This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM.

Chapel Fowler

The State

Chapel Fowler, the NSMA’s 2024 South Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, has covered Clemson football and other topics for The State since summer 2022. His work’s also been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the South Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Press Association. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and a pickup basketball enthusiast. Support my work with a digital subscription