Sports Illustrated’s latest projection places the Clemson Tigers outside the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, slotting them instead into the 2026 Holiday Bowl where they will meet the Utah Utes.
The Tigers enter the season ranked 23rd in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll but are absent from the AP Top 25, a shift that follows a 7‑6 record in 2025 which ended with a Pinstripe Bowl loss to Penn State.
Utah, fresh off an 11‑2 campaign that culminated in a 44‑22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl, arrives with a new head coach in Morgan Scalley and is positioned 21st in both major polls.
The road ahead
Clemson’s coaching staff remains anchored by Dabo Swinney, now in his 19th year at the helm, but the team will also face a schedule that opens with a September 5 showdown at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, televised on ABC.
The Holiday Bowl’s 2026 date has yet to be confirmed, though the game traditionally takes place in early January, a slot that has historically drawn national attention.
If the predictions hold, the matchup will mark Clemson’s inaugural meeting with a Pac‑12 opponent in a bowl setting, while Utah will be looking to translate its recent momentum into a new era under Scalley.