Clemson's playoff chances are already rapidly fading

It's not fair to put all of the early struggles on Klubnik, but the quarterback is always going to be the focal point of any team. He simply has not played up to expectations, and that turnover here was a game-changer. 

Clemson is another example of how misleading preseason rankings can be

Preseason rankings attempt to serve as a baseline expectation of what a team should be capable of during a season. But they are not always accurate or meaningful, and the 2025 Clemson Tigers might be another argument in favor of that being the case.

Clemson opened the season ranked as the No. 4 team in the country and has since lost to LSU, escaped a game against Troy after falling behind 16-0 in the first half and then lost to Georgia Tech the next week.

None of that is impressive. None of that is national championship worthy. None of it is playoff worthy. 

Clemson still has a pretty manageable schedule the rest of the way for the most part, but has ranked opponents in Florida State and South Carolina still lurking. 

If Clemson gets hot and runs the table, or plays its way into the ACC Championship Game, the path is still there. That's how it worked for Clemson a year ago after three regular-season losses. For that to happen again, it is going to require another down year from the ACC and a strong finish from Clemson. Neither is a given.