Dabo can’t duck Fran any longer
With a new Syracuse Orange football season looming, we’re pleased to say that a fan favorite TNIAAM series is making its return once again to help you get ready for the new year.
To this point, we are through three of Syracuse’s 12 games on the 2025 schedule. After facing the non-con trio of Tennessee, UConn and Colgate, the Orange are off to play their first ACC opponent of the year and… it just so happens to be the toughest one on the calendar.
Syracuse is now off to Death Valley to face Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. It will be the first time ‘Cuse is facing Clemson in the Fran Brown era. Brown already did Dabo a favor of getting Clemson a spot in the ACC title game last season when the Orange upset The U. Will he return the favor with handing the Orange a stunning marquee win on a silver platter?
Here’s your breakdown of Syracuse’s matchup versus Clemson:
What to know about the Clemson Tigers
School: Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
Nickname: Tigers
Mascots: The Tiger and The Cub
Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images
#BRAND Slogans: #GoTigers, #BestIsTheStandard, #AllIn
Alternate #BRAND Slogans: #DownInDeathValley, #DoItForDabo, #It’sNotABoulderIt’sHoward’sRock, #ReigningAllCoastConferenceChamps
Conference: ACC
History vs. Syracuse: Despite a few closer matchups in recent memory, Syracuse is just 2-10 all-time versus the Tigers. On New Year’s Day in 1995, the Orange won their first ever game versus Clemson 41-0 in Jacksonville, FL. They wouldn’t meet again until ‘Cuse joined the ACC. The Tigers won four in a row, including a 54-0 torching in 2016. The next year, Syracuse famously pulled off the upset heard ‘round the college football world. Since then, Syracuse has lost six in a row, most recently in 2023 (31-14).
Coach: The #DaboDynasty will now be entering its 18th season. Dabo Swinney, the leader of the ACC’s all-time wins list, joined the program in the middle of the 2008 season. Prior to that, Swinney’s college football career began in Alabama. He was a wide receiver for several years with the Crimson Tide, then became a graduate assistant. From 1996 to 2000, Dabo would then serve as a wide receivers and tight end coach. He joined Clemson first as a positions coach, then became associate head coach in 2007 and interim head coach in 2008. He’s had the job since, guiding the Tigers to five CFP appearances, two national championships, nine ACC championships and at least 10 wins in all but one year since 2011.
2024 Record: 10-4 (8-1), loss in First Round of College Football Playoff
What happened last season: Clemson started the season at No. 14 in the AP poll but got a rude awakening to begin the 2024 season, scoring just three points and losing by more than 30 to No. 1 Georgia in a neutral-site game. After that, the Tigers would rattle off six straight wins against Appalachian State, NC State, Stanford, Florida State, Wake Forest and Virginia, before losing by 12-points to Louisville at home. Clemson would pick up three more wins (Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and The Citadel), and despite falling short a heartbreaking three-point loss to No. 16 South Carolina, the Tigers did enough to make the ACC Championship Game. Clemson would go up 24-7 versus ACC and survive in a thrilling 34-31 contest. The Tigers would fall to Texas in the First Round of the new 12-team CFP.
QB Cade Klubnik threw for over 3,600 yards and 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions. RB Phil Mafah had over 200 carries for 1,115 yards and eight TDs on the ground. The defense was led by third-team All-American LB Barrett Carter, All-ACC third-teamer DL Payton Page and All-ACC second-team selections DE T.J. Parker and CB Avieon Terrell.
What happened during the offseason: The key to success for Clemson is retention, bringing back 80% of its production from the 2024 season, ranking first in that metric according to ESPN’s SP+ rankings.
The Tigers are still bringing in the 26th-best recruitment class, per 247Sports, headlined by five-star DL Amare Adams, four-star OT Brayden Jacobs and four-star RB Gideon Davidson. And yes, Clemson even dabbled (writer’s note: Dabo-ed?) in the portal, picking up former four-star Purdue EDGE Will Heldt, former three-star Alabama LB Jeremiah Alexander and former-four star Tristan Smith from Illinois State.
2025 season projections: Clemson ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s 2025 post-spring way-too-early top-25. Per FanDuel, the Tigers currently boast the seventh-best odds to win the National Championship (+1300). FanDuel also has Clemson (+120) as the favorite to win the ACC and has the Tigers with an over-under win total of 9.5 wins.
Clemson will open 2025 against LSU at home. Other home matchups are against Troy, ‘Cuse, SMU, Duke, Florida State and Furman. Road game will be versus Georgia Tech, UNC, Boston College, Louisville and South Carolina.
Game Date: Saturday, September 20
Location: Memorial Stadium
Odds of Orange Victory: 15%
Odds of “marquee game” potential: 95%
Very Early Outlook vs. Syracuse: Having eight days between games and coming off the Colgate game should at least give the Orange enough in the gas tank, versus if this game were later in the year. And, when fully healthy, Syracuse in some of these recent contests has been able to put up a fight.
That being said, I personally think this is just the wrong year to face the Tigers.
After an up-and-down year by its standards, Clemson’s offense (especially the passing game) is really going to be at a high level with so many pieces back, and Syracuse’s defense will really have the toughest of assignments dealing with that in general. Likewise, with Syracuse’s passing game considering the offseason turnover being such an unknown at this point, it’s hard to see the Orange scoring enough points unless it comes off turnovers or those momentum-swinging plays. In general, Clemson has the continuity and quality continuity at that.
The one bright spot to consider is Clemson does play Georgia Tech the week prior, so if the Yellow Jackets can make that a “game” and put some extra miles on the Tigers, maybe that creaks the door open for the Orange to pull up a surprise in Death Valley.