CBS Sports makes Playoff, bowl projections

CBS Sports is picking one postseason return no one around TigerTown is looking for, picking a Duke's Mayo Bowl spot.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Thursday, August 15 2024

CBS Sports logged its final preseason Playoff and bowl predictions, which feature a return postseason trip to one site for the first time in a while for Clemson's Tigers.

Unfortunately for the program, it is not a prediction to a Playoff bowl destination, but instead, a year after the first non-double digit win season since 2010, CBS' Jerry Palm pegs Clemson for its first trip to a Charlotte bowl game since 2010.

The matchup predicted is with Big Ten foe Rutgers in the Jan. 3 Duke's Mayo Bowl, which occurs between the quarterfinals and semifinals in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Clemson played in the 2010 Meineke Bowl versus South Florida, a 31-26 loss, which preceded a hiring of Chad Morris for the Tiger offense.

CBS picks Florida State to win the ACC for the final conference champ bye. Georgia, Ohio State and Utah occupy the Top 3 spots, and Miami is picked to get the 10-seed at-large spot -- rewarded with a trip to 7-seed Alabama in the first round.

CBS partner 247Sports predicts Clemson will go to Orlando's Pop-Tarts Bowl and face Oklahoma State.

"The Cowboys and Tigers have never met on the gridiron, so needless to say this would be one of bowl season's most-anticipated matchups outside of the College Football Playoff," 247Sports' Brad Crawford said. "It would also mean organizers in Orlando lobbied for both selections, high-end finishers in the Big 12 and ACC not quite good enough to be voted into the playoff. No team in the Big 12 brings back more starters than Oklahoma State, a team anchored by reigning Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon II."

FSU is also picked to win the ACC as a 3-seed there. Miami is picked as an at-large, as a 10-seed, going to 7-seed Oregon. Neither is picked to advance a round.

In other recent Clemson postseason projections, Athlon also picks an Oklahoma State matchup in Orlando and CFN also picks Charlotte but a matchup with Nebraska. Sporting News is one national outlet that has a Playoff return predicted, heading to Alabama in round one and losing.

2024 Clemson bowl/Playoff projections

CBS: Duke's Mayo (Charlotte) vs. Rutgers

247Sports: Pop-Tarts (Orlando) vs. Oklahoma State

Athlon: Pop-Tarts vs. Oklahoma State

CFN: Duke's Mayo vs. Nebraska

Sporting News: Playoff first round at Alabama