Over the course of the last decade, Clemson has proven time and time again the Tigers will not shy away from quality competition in the regular season.
Since 2013, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers have lined up against Auburn five times; Georgia and Texas A&M (twice); and Notre Dame. That trend is showing no signs of slowing down in the foreseeable future, either.
Clemson already has several big dates secured including this fall when the Tigers visit Notre Dame on the gridiron for the first time since a 16-10 triumph over the Fighting Irish in 1979. Next season sets up what should be a scorching hot ticket for fans in a 2021 season opener between the Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. The two historic rivals are also scheduled for meetings in 2024, 2030, 2032 and 2033.
In another clash of the Tigers, Clemson will host LSU in 2025 before heading down to the Bayou in 2026. Don’t hold your breath but a home-and-home is also set in 2035 and 2036 with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Of course, these teams will look much differently personnel-wise when most of these games are played but nevertheless gives fans something to look forward to down the road.
These matchups got us thinking about other hypothetical games that would make for an exciting game and we came up with five potential opponents we believe Clemson fans would enjoy watching in a home-and-home series in the future.
Florida
This one, in theory, might not be as far away as one might believe as the idea as already been tossed around between Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich and Florida’s Scott Stricklin back in October.
However, the Tigers currently do not have an opening for a nonconference, power-five opponent until 2038. The Gators and Tigers haven’t played since 1961 — a 21-17 win for the home team in Gainesville. Florida holds a 9-3-1 lead in the all-time series. Head coach Dan Mullen appears to have Florida trending in the right direction and while a regular-season meeting is extremely unlike anytime soon, both fan bases would gladly welcome a postseason meeting between the two programs.
Texas
Clemson and Texas have never met in football, which would make this match up a historic one regardless of where the teams fell in the national rankings. While Texas hasn’t quite made it back over the hump since the Vince Young era and the classic 41-38 2006 National Championship Rose Bowl victory over USC, both teams rank in the Top 25 in all-time records, conference championships, national championships, all-time wins, first-round draft picks and weeks at AP No. 1. A trip to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and would likely be the first for most within Tiger Nation and make for a nice college football weekend.
USC
Speaking of Southern California, the Trojans would also be an interesting opponent and favorable destination for Clemson fans wanting to knock off Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on their college football tour bucket list. The lone meeting between the two programs occurred in 1966, a game in which the Trojans blanked the Tigers, 30-0. USC’s history speaks for itself with 11 national championships and six Heisman Trophy winners among numerous other accolades. It’s not often Clemson squares off with any team from the West Coast and if you’re going to travel that far, might as well make it worth your while.
Tennessee
In another case of a program that hasn’t quite lived up to its historical relevance as of late, the Vols and Tigers boast two of the most loyal and rambunctious fans bases in all of college football. Though they may disagree on which is the proper shade of orange, both can agree in their disdain of rivals South Carolina and Georgia. The last time these two teams met, Clemson stunned the No. 7 Volunteers in the 2004 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, 27-14. Since then, the programs have taken different paths. Tennessee has shuffled through the coaching carousel with Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones and now second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt with nothing more than one division title to show for it. Meanwhile, Dabo Swinney, a young WR coach that 2004 evening in Atlanta, has turned his Tigers into a force to be reckoned with. With Fulmer serving as Athletic Director and Pruitt manning the ship, perhaps the Vols could be on their way to the upper echelons of the SEC in the coming years making this match up a little tastier for fans.
Michigan
This would be another first-time meeting and provide Clemson fans another great college football destination. The Wolverines are probably not too keen on playing teams from the Carolinas (See Appalachian State in 2007 and South Carolina 2013, 2018 in the Outback Bowl), but we’re willing to bet if Michigan AD Warde Manuel saw Radakovich's name pop-up on his desk phone, he’d at least entertain the call.
For Clemson fans, this game would ideally be played sometime in mid-September as opposed to late-November for obvious weather concerns. However, it is not every day the Tigers get to play in the snow. Clemson has enjoyed great success over Ohio State and adding another Big Ten powerhouse would be just another notch under Swinney’s heavyweight belt.
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April 11, 2020 at 08:00PM
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Most Exciting Hypothetical Matchups for Clemson - Sports Illustrated
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