After its come-from-behind victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl on December 29, Clemson figured to have some positive momentum going into the offseason.
One college football analyst weighed in over the weekend on where he believes the Tigers should be ranked when the far-off 2024 season begins.
In his “way too early” rankings for the 2024 season, The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy ranked Clemson as the top program in the ACC — at No. 18.
While that ranking may seem low for the lofty standards set under coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers are rated two spots ahead of its closest in-conference competition in Florida State, which McMurphy ranks No. 20.
In McMurphy’s rankings, the Tigers fall between Tennessee, which posted a 35-0 shutout of Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl and who McMurphy has ranked No. 17 — and Utah, soon to begin play in the Big 12 conference when the 2024 season kicks off. The Utes lost 14-7 to Northwestern in the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl.
Clemson will face a daunting task in its first game when they visit Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium to play Georgia on August 31. Kirby Smart’s program routed Florida State, 66-3, in the Orange Bowl. The Bulldogs had been aiming for a third consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship but lost 27-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on December 2.