The Clemson Tigers finished off October with a perfect 3-0 record for the month and are 6-1 overall heading into their Week 9 bye following last Saturday’s 48-31 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.
Clemson is ranked No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll. As coach Dabo Swinney noted after Saturday’s win, the Tigers control their own destiny as they turn the corner and head into November. Conference games against Louisville, Virginia Tech, Pitt, and the annual rivalry with South Carolina await them in November.
The Tigers are very much in the College Football Playoff mix, and USA TODAY Sports favors Clemson ahead of the Miami Hurricanes in its latest postseason projections, released Tuesday.
Analyst Erick Smith has Clemson as a No. 3 seed in the playoff field and joining the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes and Kansas State Wildcats as the four power conference champions at season’s end. Smith sees Clemson facing the Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
Miami, ranked No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, is undefeated at 7-0 but coach Mario Cristobal’s team have had close calls in each of its past three games (against Virginia Tech, Cal and Louisville).
By contrast, Clemson’s closest game since its season-opening loss to Georgia was a 29-13 road win at Florida State on Oct. 5. With junior Cade Klubnik thriving in his second full season at quarterback, the Tigers’ offense has been rolling.
Clemson has…
