For the first time since the 2023 season, Clemson football is out of the AP Top 25.
The Tigers dropped from No. 12 to unranked following Saturday’s heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets’ Aidan Birr drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired to hand Clemson its second defeat in three weeks, sending Bobby Dodd Stadium into chaos and pushing Georgia Tech to 3-0 (1-0 ACC).
Clemson, now 1-2 (0-1 ACC), has lost four of its last six games dating back to the end of the 2024 season, a stretch that has many fans questioning whether the Tigers’ glory days are truly behind them.
Another Slow Start Dooms Clemson
Through three games, Clemson has scored just three total points in the first quarter. Saturday was more of the same, as the Tigers fell behind 13-0 early, gained just 56 yards of offense in the opening quarter, and turned the ball over once.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik flashed his playmaking ability at times, including a 73-yard touchdown strike to Bryant Wesco Jr., but he also fumbled in the first quarter and threw a costly red-zone interception in the third.
Defense Holds, But Runs Out of Gas
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s group delivered several big moments to keep Clemson in striking distance, including Ricardo Jones’ huge fourth-down stop in the first quarter and a series of key third-down pressures.
But Georgia Tech’s offense wore them down, controlling the ball for nearly 32 minutes and capping a 90-yard drive with a fourth-quarter touchdown to retake the lead. By the time Birr’s field goal sailed through the uprights as time expired, Clemson’s defense had little left in the tank.
Familiar Feeling for Clemson Fans
This latest loss adds to a troubling trend for Dabo Swinney’s program. After starting 4-3 in 2021 and 4-4 in 2023, the Tigers are once again stumbling out of the gate. Their 2-4 record over the past six games, spanning the end of last season and the start of this one, is their worst stretch since 2010.
From 2015 through 2020, Clemson lost only three ACC games total. Since 2021, they’ve dropped eight. The dominance that once defined this program seems to be slipping away, and patience among the fanbase is running thin.
Must-Win vs. Syracuse
Now, the Tigers return home to face Syracuse (2-1) next Saturday in what already feels like a must-win game. Another loss would leave Clemson 1-3 and 0-2 in ACC play.
And while it’s not mathematically impossible, Clemson’s path to the ACC Championship Game already feels like a long shot. With Florida State, Louisville, UNC, and others still looming on the schedule, the Tigers would likely need to run the table and get help elsewhere just to have a chance. Right now, that feels more like wishful thinking than reality.
For a team that began the year with playoff expectations, the margin for error is now gone. The question isn’t just whether Clemson can win next week, it’s whether they can recapture the identity that once made them one of college football’s most feared programs.
