4 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS
As an homage to legendary NFL broadcaster and noted master of understatement Ray Scott, former Dallas Stars broadcaster Ralph Strangis used to often go to commercial breaks by proclaiming in scoreless games, “The score? … There is no score.” The series history of Clemson and Texas? There is no series history of Clemson and Texas. After facing SMU for the first time in the 2024 ACC Championship Game, this week’s contest marks the second straight game in which Clemson will face an opponent from the Lone Star State for the first time in school history
Clemson Tigers Notes
CLEMSON EMBARKS UPON SEVENTH CFP RUN SATURDAY AT TEXAS
After three years away, Clemson will officially return to the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21, when the 12th-seeded Tigers face the fifth-seeded Texas Longhorns in the first meeting in history between the two powerhouses. Kickoff at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT. This season, Clemson earned its seventh College Football Playoff berth since the format’s inception in 2014. Clemson’s seven berths trail only Alabama (eight) for the most in the nation. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s seven CFP berths are the most of any active coach and one shy of Nick Saban (eight) for the most of any coach all-time. Clemson earned its berth after winning the 2024 ACC Championship Game and securing its 13th season with 10 or more wins in the last 14 years. The Tigers collected a dramatic 34-31 walk-off win in the ACC Championship Game to extend their FBS-record streak of consecutive years with a postseason win (conference championships and/or bowl/CFP games) to 14 seasons. After the first decade of the College Football Playoff featured every game being played at a neutral site, this year marks the first time that games will be played on campus sites. During the regular season, Clemson recorded a perfect record in true road games for the 10th time in program history (1900, 1917, 1948, 1981, 1995, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019). The Tigers are one of eight FBS teams with a perfect record in true road games this season, alongside Oregon, Notre Dame, Army, Penn State, SMU, Louisiana and Texas. Though the game features two high-profile quarterbacks, the matchup will also feature two of the game’s emerging young stars on defense. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons (12.5) and Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown (10.5) rank first and second in the nation, respectively, in tackles for loss by freshmen this season.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK
– Clemson (seven) entering the game as one of only two teams ever to earn seven College Football Playoff berths since the institution of the postseason format in 2014 (Alabama, 8). – Head Coach Dabo Swinney (6-4) attempting to join Nick Saban (9-5) as the only coaches ever to win at least seven College Football Playoff games. – Clemson entering the game having won at least one postseason game (conference championship, bowl game and/or national championship game) in 14 consecutive seasons. Clemson’s current 14-year streak is the longest streak on record in major college football history. – Clemson attempting to win multiple postseason games (conference championship, bowl game and/or national championship game) in a single season for the fifth time in school history (two in 2015, three in 2016, three in 2018 and two in 2019). – Clemson is attempting to produce its 12th 11-win season in program history, joining the 1948, 1978, 1981, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 seasons. It would be Clemson’s ninth season of 11-plus wins under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. – Clemson is attempting to win an 11th game this season to tie for the seventh-most wins in a season in school history. – Clemson attempting to improve to 28-23 all-time in bowl/CFP play. – Clemson facing Texas for the first time in program history. – Clemson playing consecutive games in a single season against opponents it had never previously faced for the first time since 1952, a year in which the Tigers made their series debuts against Villanova and Maryland in consecutive weeks. – Clemson facing its 110th different opponent in program history. Clemson is 67-38-4 all-time in its first meeting with its 109 existing opponents, including an 18-1 mark in first meetings since 2003. Clemson has won 20 of its last 22 games when making its all-time debut against a new opponent. – Texas becoming the 22nd opponent Clemson faced for the first time in postseason play, joining Boston College (1939), Missouri (1948), Colorado (1956), LSU (1958), TCU (1959), Pitt (1977), Ohio State (1978), Baylor (1979), Nebraska (1981), Minnesota (1985), Stanford (1986), Penn State (1987), West Virginia (1989), Illinois (1990), Cal (1991), Syracuse (1995), Louisiana Tech (2001), Texas Tech (2002), South Florida (2010), Iowa State (2021) and SMU (2024). – Clemson playing multiple games against teams from Texas in a single season for the first time in school history. – Clemson attempting to improve to 8-6 all-time in games played in Texas. – Clemson attempting to improve to 4-0 all-time in postseason games in the state of Texas. Clemson previously won bowl games in Texas in the 1939 (Cotton Bowl vs. Boston College), 1959 (Bluebonnet Bowl vs. TCU) and 2018 (Cotton Bowl vs. Notre Dame) seasons. – Clemson attempting to earn its highest-ranked road win in school history. To date, Clemson’s 21 highest-ranked wins in school history have come in 15 neutral-site games and six home games. A win against AP No. 3 Texas would surpass Clemson’s wins against eighth-ranked North Carolina in 1981 and eighth-ranked Miami (Fla.) in 2009 as the Tigers’ highest-ranked road win according to AP Poll rankings. – Clemson attempting to earn its 32nd all-time victory against an AP Top 10 opponent. – Clemson is attempting to improve to 19-1 in December games since 2011. Among teams that have been at the FBS level in that entire time span, Clemson’s current .947 December winning percentage is the second-highest in the nation behind Alabama (15-0, 1.000). – Clemson attempting to improve to 31-14 all-time in games played in the month of December. – Head Coach Dabo Swinney (180-46) entering the game as one of seven coaches in FBS history to win 180 games within the first 20 seasons of a head coaching career. In only his 17th season (and 16th full season), Swinney (180) trails only Tom Osborne (195), Nick Saban (191), Bob Stoops (191), Joe Paterno (187), Urban Meyer (187) and LaVell Edwards (183) in that category. (Note: Stoops and Meyer are not credited on the NCAA’s official list of most wins through 20 seasons since they did not coach 20 years.) – Swinney adding to his ACC record for most bowl/CFP games coached (21, including Saturday’s game). A win would push him to 13-8 in bowl/CFP play and add to his current record for the most bowl victories by an ACC head coach. – Clemson attempting to improve to 41-27 under Swinney against AP Top 25 teams. – Clemson attempting to improve to 35-19 under Swinney in games in which both teams rank in the AP Top 25. – Swinney attempting to improve to 20-13 against AP Top 10 teams. – Clemson attempting to improve to 170-74-3 all-time (and 53-8 since 2011) when facing a coach for the first time. – Clemson (462) needing 38 points to record the eighth 500-point season in school history. It would be Clemson’s first 500-point season since 2020 (522). – Clemson entering the game ranked in the Top 20 nationally in both total offense (12th, 454.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (tied for 16th, 35.5 points per game). – Clemson entering the game alongside Louisville as one of only two teams in the nation to average both 270 passing yards per game (274.1) and 180 rushing yards per game (180.9).
CFP STAPLES
From 2014-23, Clemson cemented itself as one of the College Football Playoff’s powerhouses of the tournament’s inaugural decade. In the 10-year history of the four-team format prior to 2024, only 15 programs earned at least one College Football Playoff berth, and Clemson ranked second in CFP berths, CFP title game appearances, total CFP wins and CFP titles. Clemson returned to the College Football Playoff in 2024 in the format’s first year of expansion to 12 teams and is now one berth shy of Alabama (eight) for the most in history.
POSTSEASON STREAK
Between ACC Championship Games, bowl games and College Football Playoff National Championship Games, Clemson has won at least one postseason game in each of the last 14 years, the longest streak in FBS history. Clemson extended that streak with its win in the 2024 ACC Championship Game. The last time Clemson did not win at least one postseason game was in 2010, when Clemson lost in the Meineke Car Care Bowl after not qualifying for the ACC Championship Game.
BOWL STREAKS
With a berth in the College Football Playoff this year, Clemson extended its school-record bowl streak to 20 years. Clemson’s 20-year bowl streak is the longest in the ACC and the fourth-longest in the country Clemson’s 20-year streak dates to a 19-10 Champs Sports Bowl win against Colorado to close the 2005 season. At 20 years, the streak nearly triples Clemson’s previous longest streak, which covered seven seasons from 1985-91. Though Clemson opted against a bowl appearance in 2004, Clemson has been bowl eligible in 26 consecutive seasons, dating back to a 1999 appearance in the Peach Bowl.
CLEMSON VS. NEW OPPONENTS
Texas will be the 110th different opponent faced by Clemson all-time. Clemson holds a 67-38-4 all-time record when facing an opponent for the first time, including a 1-0 mark this season in its series debut vs. SMU. Clemson has won 18 of its last 19 games when making its all-time debut against a new opponent, dating back to 2003. The team’s lone debut loss in that time frame came against South Florida in the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., the last game before Clemson embarked upon its active streak of 14 consecutive nine-win seasons. Included below is a list of Clemson’s first meeting with all 109 opponents in school history in chronological order.
CLEMSON VS. SEC OPPONENTS
Clemson is 21-15 against SEC foes under the guidance of Head Coach Dabo Swinney, and the Tigers are 15-9 against the conference in the College Football Playoff era. Clemson’s 21 wins against SEC opponents under Swinney include wins against South Carolina (9), Auburn (4), Alabama (2), Kentucky (2), Texas A&M (2), Georgia (1) and LSU (1). Clemson also has two wins against Oklahoma under Swinney prior to Oklahoma’s move to the SEC.
Texas Longhorns Notes
THE CFP FIRST ROUND
• No. 3 and fifth-seed Texas Football will be hosting No. 16 and 12th-seeded Clemson in the 2024 College Football Playoff first round at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 21, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on TNT/Max with Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Taylor McGregor (reporter) and Laura Rutledge on the call. • Texas is making its second College Football Playoff appearance in as many years after earning the three seed in the 2023 College Football Playoff, making a semifinal appearance against the No. 2 Washington Huskies at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. • The Longhorns have 11-consecutive top-10 CFP rankings, dating back to Oct. 31, 2023. Texas debuted at No. 5 in the first CFP rankings on Nov. 5 this season – which doubled as the program’s highest-ever spot in the first week of CFP rankings. Texas has been in the top-25 in each of the last 15 rankings and has 27 overall appearances in the rankings with its highest being No. 2. UT checked in at No. 4 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls that were updated on Dec. 8. • The Longhorns are 12-1 at home over the last two seasons. • Dec. 21 will mark the first-ever matchup between Texas and Clemson. The first-round winner will advance to the CFP Quarterfinal at the 57th Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and face the Big 12 Champion and No. 4 seed Arizona State at Noon C.T. on Jan. 1, 2025, in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will air on an ABC/ESPN platform. • The Longhorns are 12-2 overall coming off an SEC Championship game berth in their first season as conference members. • Head coach Steve Sarkisian has now led his programs to eight postseason appearances in his 11 seasons as a head coach. He led Washington to four-straight bowl games following the 2010-13 seasons and guided USC to the Holiday Bowl in 2014. His Washington team played in the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl, a game he did not coach in after taking over the Trojans’ program. Sarkisian was the head coach for the Huskies’ Alamo Bowl appearance against Baylor in 2011. • Texas finishes the 2024 regular season as the only SEC team with one loss. • Last time out, Texas lost 22-19 (OT) in the 2024 SEC Championship game versus Georgia on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. It was the first-ever OT forced in the SEC Championship game. • Of the six non-original members of the SEC (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M), Texas is the only program to clinch an SEC Championship game berth in its first season as a league member. • Texas is one of two teams in the nation with eight wins vs. bowl eligible opponents. Syracuse is the other. • Texas is among five teams that have at four wins vs. opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of game. Georgia, South Carolina, Arizona State and Notre Dame are the other four teams. • In its first season as an SEC member, Texas has clinched conference championship game berths in backto-back seasons after winning the Big 12 Championship in 2023. • Texas’ 11-consecutive true road wins (not including neutral site contests) is the longest streak for the Horns since winning 15-straight road games from 2003-06. It also doubles as the longest active streak in the FBS. • The Longhorns have held 10 of 13 opponents to 17 points or less this season. • UT boasts the fourth-most wins (959) in NCAA history. Texas holds a record of 959-394-33. The Longhorns’ 959 wins are the second most by an SEC program following Alabama’s 974 victories. • Texas has back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 (2008: 12-1 overall, 2009: 13-1 overall). • Following Texas’ 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, Texas moved to No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time since Oct. 26, 2008. The Longhorns spent four weeks this season at No. 1 and have have 49 overall appearances at No. 1 in the AP Poll.
A TEXAS WIN WOULD …
• Advance UT to the CFP Quarterfinal, the 57th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Big 12 Champion Arizona State on Jan. 1, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. • The Horns are vying to be the fifth team in program history to compile 12 or more wins in a single season. • Clinch back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time since 2008-2009. • Move UT to 1-0 all-time against Clemson. • The Horns will boast a 7-1 record when playing at DKRTexas Memorial Stadium this season. • Be Texas’ 960th all-time victory, the fourth-winningest program in college football history. • Give Steve Sarkisian his 84th victory as a head coach and 37th at Texas in his 134th career game as a head coach
