The Clemson Tigers will be one of the most anticipated programs to watch during the 2025-26 college football season. After struggling to get things off the ground at the start of last season - getting their butts whooped 34-3 against Georgia in Week 1 - the Tigers managed to claw their way into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff as the final seed as ACC champions.
Head coach Dabo Swinney is looking to improve upon that performance this year but even his expectations may be a little high.
"I've had one undefeated team," Swinney told ESPN. "In 2018, we were the first 15-0 team in the history of major college football — ever. And I think we're going to be the first 16-0 team. It's a race to do that."
That confidence will be appreciated around campus but that's going to be a lot easier said than done this season.
Dabo Swinney's historic expectations could be Clemson's downfall
The Tigers do return an impressive amount of starters to their roster this year, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, who is easily among preseason front-runners for the Heisman Trophy. They're going to be scary on offense but is an undefeated, national championship season really in the cards?
Clemson's first big test will come immediately in Week 1, facing yet another SEC contender in LSU in a battle of Death Valleys. Swinney is 17-10 against SEC opponents but has struggled as of late, losing seven of the last 10 matchups. Starting things off with a home win against the other Tigers will certainly insert Clemson into the national championship conversation right off the bat.
There's always a chance Swinney turns things around in just one year but winning every single game is a tall order. Clemson hasn't competed for a national title since 2019 and has lost at least three games in each of the last four seasons.
That's not to say Swinney doesn't have a grip on reality. There's a reason he's still employed and has Clemson consistently pegged as a title contender year in and year out.
"Every year is different and every team is different, but if winning a national championship is the only way you've had a good year or you can feel good about yourself or your team or your program — and we've won three in 130 years — I mean, there's going to be a lot of miserable years if that's the only way you look at it," he wisely said.