Clemson Plummets in ESPN’s Updated College Football Rankings

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 10:38 AM ET

The Clemson Tigers entered the 2025 season as a College Football Playoff contender. Quarterback Cade Klubnik was also a Heisman Trophy candidate on many preseason lists.

However, Clemson began with a 1-3 record with losses to the LSU Tigers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Syracuse Orange, and the lone win coming against the Troy Trojans.

Clemson then won two straight games, although against the North Carolina Tar Heels and Boston College Eagles, the latter of which has one win all season long.

In Week 8, Clemson suffered another loss, this time dropping a home game to the SMU Mustangs 35-24.

Clemson is 3-4 and still has games against the Louisville Cardinals and South Carolina Gamecocks remaining on the schedule.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On Sunday, ESPN's Football Power Index rankings, a computer-based system that measures the strength of teams, saw Clemson drop quite a bit.

Entering Week 7, Clemson was at No. 29, but the latest loss has moved the Tigers down to No. 38.

Clemson's FPI rating is 8.6, which is the same as the Kansas Jayhawks.

The FPI is also the "best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season."

Here is Clemson's remaining schedule coming out of a bye in Week 9.

vs. Duke
vs. Florida State
at Louisville
vs. Furman
at South Carolina

Clemson did play against SMU without Klubnik, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Backup QB Christopher Vizzina played well, throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

Still, Clemson has dropped again in the FPI ratings, and the Tigers need to go 3-2 the rest of the season in order to just finish with a .500 record.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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