Bruce Feldman picks Texas vs. Clemson national championship game

In Bruce Feldman’s piece for The Athletic on what win totals he likes the most, he mentioned how he would pick Texas and Clemson to meet in the National Championship Game 250 days before the 2025 college football season.

Clemson’s win total projection is 9.5, and in the description, Feldman talks about how things seem to be aligning for the Tigers in the 2025 season.

Adding Tom Allen from Penn State as the defensive coordinator will add a completely different dimension to a defense that has not been elite since Brent Venables left for Oklahoma.

The Tigers uncharacteristically ranked 64th in yards per play allowed, 68th in red-zone touchdown percentage, and 85th against the run. Adding Allen should transform this defense and bring it back to elite status.

This defensive line is in contention for being the best in the country. Peter Woods, TJ Parker, Amare Adams, and Will Heldt have a chance to be a special group this season. Heldt was also a highly sought-after transfer from Purdue, which was unique given how little the Tigers have used the Transfer Portal.

Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz are standouts in the linebacking corps, and then Avieon Terrell is the best player in the secondary.

Clemson football’s offense will be loaded with experience

The offense has almost no questions surrounding the unit. Cade Klubnik is back under center after having a fantastic season in 2024. He comes into the 2025 season as a Heisman Trophy favorite and will only build on his 2024 campaign that saw him throw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns on a 63.4 completion percentage.

This offense has plenty of weapons with Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore capable of exploding out wide. The only question is in the backfield with Phil Mafah out, but Gideon Davidson could explode as an incoming freshman.

Clemson’s schedule also sets up well. They open the season against LSU at home and then visit South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl at the end of the season. In ACC play, they travel to Georgia Tech and North Carolina and then host SMU, Duke, and Florida State. They also don’t play Miami and wouldn’t play the Hurricanes until a potential matchup in the ACC Championship.

The improvement in defense and the offense’s explosiveness, combined with how well the schedule sets up, are why Feldman has so much confidence in the Tigers to meet the Longhorns in the National Championship Game.