Updated Clemson bowl projections with Tigers' three-game winning streak

Clemson and UNC could both be up for the Gator Bowl.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Sunday, November 19 2023

Clemson's season has gone on the upswing with a three-game winning streak to secure bowl eligibility and clinch a winning regular season.

The Tigers face a rival in South Carolina in Columbia under the lights Saturday (7:30 p.m./SECN) that sits one game from clinching a bowl spot themselves.

Where are the Tigers projected to land currently?

CBS Sports and 247Sports both agree on a Western destination and a date with Oregon State in San Diego's Holiday Bowl, a reunion with former Tigers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

"Could bowl season pair former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalalei against his former team? It's possible. This would be a heavyweight matchup, even if this season hasn't gone as planned for the Tigers. Clemson has won three straight since losing to NC State on the record and has a chance to finish 8-4 if it takes out South Carolina next weekend on the road. Oregon State could now play the role of spoiler against Oregon the day after Thanksgiving," said 247Sports' Brad Crawford.

Crawford also mentions Clemson as "an option" for the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville by rounding out the regular season on a four-game winning streak with the win over South Carolina. North Carolina is currently projected there by 247Sports.

Before this weekend's action, The Athletic called for a Clemson-LSU Gator Bowl ($).

ESPN's bowl predictors are split ($), with one joining the Holiday Bowl/Oregon State picks (Mark Schlabach) and another projecting Clemson-Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl (Kyle Bonagura).

One possible to factor to watch is the course of Top-4-ranked Florida State's season, which improved to 11-0 but lost dynamic quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending leg injury before dates ahead with rival Florida and then Louisville in the ACC Championship. If they fall out of New Year's Six Bowl range with a losing spell, that moves everyone else in the ACC down a peg in the bowl order. As it stands currently, Florida State is projected to make the Playoff and then Louisville as an ACC Championship loser would take the ACC's contractual spot in the Orange Bowl.

An undefeated or one-loss ACC Champion FSU team could also get left out of the Playoff and have them as the lone ACC team in a New Year's Six Bowl (Orange), which would perform the same action of sending a 7-1 ACC regular-season team in Louisville back into the top of the second-tier of the ACC bowl structure.

Full ACC bowl schedule

Bowl Game Game Date Game Time (ET) Network Matchup

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Fri., Dec. 22, 2023 6:30 p.m. ESPN TBD

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Sat., Dec. 23, 2023 Noon ABC TBD

Military Bowl Wed., Dec. 27, 2023 2:00 p.m. ESPN TBD

Duke's Mayo Bowl Wed., Dec. 27, 2023 5:30 p.m. ESPN TBD

SDCUU Holiday Bowl Wed., Dec. 27, 2023 8:00 p.m. FOX TBD

Wasabi Fenway Bowl Thurs., Dec. 28, 2023 11:00 a.m. ESPN TBD

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Thurs., Dec. 28, 2023 2:15 p.m. ESPN TBD

Pop-Tarts Bowl Thurs., Dec. 28, 2023 5:45 p.m. ESPN TBD

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Fri., Dec. 29, 2023 Noon ESPN TBD

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Fri., Dec. 29, 2023 2:00 p.m. CBS TBD