Any year that doesn’t end with a national championship for Clemson is usually viewed as a disappointment. They’re coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory, raising concerns about their performance in 2024.

If Clemson doesn’t have the year they want, big changes could be coming. It might sound crazy to say Dabo Swinney has to go if they’re not playing well, but something has to change.

Perhaps another downhill campaign would freak Swinney out, which in some ways wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario.

At the very least, Clemson needs to be able to win the ACC. If they win the ACC, they have a chance to play in the College Football Playoff. A loss in the first round of the CFP would not be an achievement, but it would be a step in the right direction after last year.

Stewart Mandel from The athlete doesn’t think that will be the case and predicts Clemson will finish fourth in the ACC.

“The Tigers have rebounded from a brutal 4-4 start to last season, winning their last five games with running back Phil Mafah emerging as a home run threat. And the defense will once again be very good. But another year has passed without Dabo Swinney filling any holes in his roster. FSU and Miami have certainly done that.”

There is no clear favorite in the ACC. Florida State is considered the best team in the conference based on their performance in 2023, but the Seminoles are a much different team than they were then.

Mandel sees Miami and Virginia Tech ahead of Clemson, which is questionable for several reasons. Miami is expected to be an above-average team, as is Virginia Tech, but history suggests Clemson should be successful against them.

They only play against Virginia Tech and this game could be the deciding factor in who plays in the ACC title game.

Mandel has them finishing 6-2 in the ACC and 9-3 overall. Clemson is playing Florida State, so maybe he thinks they’ll have three losses to start the season against them, Virginia Tech and Georgia.

If they lose three games, their chances of making the College Football Playoff are slim. There could be a three-loss team that still sneaks in, but their record wouldn’t be great considering their three losses would have come against the top three teams they play.