12. Clemson Tigers
10-3 (7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season)
What’s next: First-round at No. 5 seed Texas, Dec. 21
Head coach: Dabo Swinney (17th season, 180-46 overall)
About Swinney: The 55-year-old, who is 6-4 in the CFP, took over during the 2008 season and has won two national titles (2016, 2018). He will take the Tigers to the CFP the first time since the 2020 season and the seventh time overall.
Resume
The Tigers, the only three-loss team in the 12-team field, were in a must-win situation in the ACC championship game, prevailing on a last-second, 56-yard field goal to defeat SMU 34-31. Clemson lost two games to SEC opponents (Georgia and South Carolina) this season. The Tigers’ other defeat came at home to Louisville. The matchup with Texas will be Clemson’s first true road game against the SEC this season.
Postseason history
A nine-time winner of the ACC Championship Game, the Tigers notched a double-figure win total for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons. Along with its two national titles, Clemson reached the title game two other times (2019 and 2015). This will be the first Clemson-Texas matchup.
The road to Atlanta
It will be a tricky road for the Tigers to reach the CFP title game in Atlanta at a venue familiar to Clemson fans. The Tigers will take at least two and maybe three trips outside of their own time zone to qualify for the final.
Names to know
QB Cade Klubnik
Klubnik, a Texas native, has been taking snaps in crucial situations since a limited role as a freshman in 2022, when he rescued the Tigers in an ACC Championship victory vs. North Carolina.
Sporting a 19-8 career record as a starter, Klubnik has thrown for 3,303 yards and 33 touchdowns along with five interceptions this season. He tossed four TDs in the ACC title game Dec. 7 against SMU after receiving All-ACC honorable mention following the regular season.
“He’s battle-tested,” Swinney said. “He has got a lot of experience under his belt. He has had some failure, which has made him better.”
RB Phil Mafah
The senior has racked up 1,106 rushing yards with eight touchdowns this season and has 28 career scores. Mafah has averaged fewer than 17 carries per game, so he makes the most of his opportunities, and at 230 pounds he can be a load to bring down.
DE T.J. Parker
He’s been disruptive on a regular basis, racking up 19 tackles for loss (11 sacks) this season. The 265-pound sophomore helped set the tone in the ACC title game when the Tigers feasted on early SMU mistakes. Parker is tied for the Division I lead with six forced fumbles this season.
K Nolan Hauser
The freshman joined the Tigers this season with great acclaim and produced a career highlight with a 56-yard game-winning field goal — the longest in ACC title game history — to beat SMU at the buzzer.
–Field Level Media
