Clemson football heads into the 2022 season with a good shot at making the college football playoff, according to ESPN’s SP+ projections.
For those who don’t know, ESPN’s SP+ projections involve three primary factors: returning production, recent recruiting, and recent team history. Clemson gained a little bit of ground in the final preseason projections, moving up a spot to No.5 on the list.
With an SP+ of 21.4, the Tigers rank as a fringe playoff team, following fourth-ranked Brent Venables-led Oklahoma (22.5). The Tigers are tied in SP+ with sixth-ranked Michigan (21.4).
The difference in ratings between the defense and the offense is the key piece holding the Tigers back from pushing further up the list. While their defensive SP+ ranks first in the country at 10.9, the offense’s 36th ranking in the country at 32.4 leaves a lot of room for improvement.
The top three teams in Alabama (32.2), Georgia (30.5), and Ohio State (29.7) are the clear top dogs right now, leaving a significant gap between them and the rest of the playing field. Improvement on the offensive side of the ball is exactly what the Tigers need to contend with these three.
Clemson headlines the ACC, which ranks fourth of all conferences heading into the season, with No. 18 NC State, No. 23 Pitt, and No.27 Miami rounding out the conference’s top four.
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