Clemson Football: 3 potential bowl destinations for Tigers

The Clemson Football team has enjoyed 17 consecutive seasons with a bowl game appearance thanks to the guidance of Head Coach Tommy Bowden and continued by his successor and current Head Coach Dabo Swinney.

The Tigers have incredibly high expectations year-in-year-out and for good reason. They have the talent, resources, and facilities to be in the mix every season for a National Championship.

This will be the first time Clemson football does not make an appearance in a “New Years Six” bowl game since 2014.

You better believe Swinney and the rest of Clemson will use this experience as a tool to ensure they never get outside that national championship picture again. Whoever squares up against Clemson in the bowl game will be facing a relentless, championship-tested team.

Let’s take a look at where Clemson could end up and who they could be playing this 2021 bowl season.

Gator Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs Texas A&M

247 Sports currently projects Clemson to head south and play in the Gator Bowl. Head Coach Dabo Swinney would re-connect with a familiar foe in former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher.

Swinney is 4-4 against Jimbo Fisher dating back to their days as ACC conference foes. So a ninth game could give either coach some bragging rights.

Texas A&M played remarkably well after losing starting QB Haynes King to injury in the second game of the season. It forced them to recalibrate and they did exactly that, even becoming the only team to beat Alabama during the regular season.

A&M would be a formidable opponent for Clemson and likely an engagement in trench warfare. Both teams have some of the best defenses in the country, allowing roughly 15 points per game.

This could be the most attractive bowl game destination and opponent for Clemson this season.