The Clemson Tigers are back in the College Football Playoff after a four-year absence and will meet the Texas Longhorns in a first-round game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Clemson (10-3) punched its ticket to the playoffs with a thrilling 34-31 win over the SMU Mustangs in last week’s ACC Championship Game. Freshman kicker Nolan Hauser drilled a 56-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the Tigers to an incredible victory.
It was Clemson’s 22nd ACC title in school history and for Dabo Swinney, his ninth in 17 years as Tigers coach.
Awaiting Clemson is a Texas (11-2) team that lost 22-19 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game last Saturday — a rematch where both teams were already a virtual playoff lock.
On Friday, USA TODAY Sports’ college football experts released their early predictions for every 2024-25 postseason game, including Clemson-Texas. All six members of USA TODAY’s panel — Paul Myerberg, Dan Wolken, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith — picked the Longhorns to win.
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Kickoff for Clemson vs. Texas is set for 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 21. The game will be televised on TNT. It will mark the first ever meeting between the Tigers and Longhorns on the gridiron.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: USA TODAY Sports experts predict Clemson vs. Texas winner in historic CFP matchup
