National analyst predictions for Clemson vs. Sourh Carolina

Clemson’s trip to Columbia arrives with the Tigers in an unusual spot, entering the rivalry game as the team getting the points rather than giving them. South Carolina is set as a three-point favorite for the noon broadcast, but that number doesn’t match how this matchup has usually played out when the Tigers head down the road. Clemson has handled this stadium well for years, and that history adds another layer to a game where almost every outside voice sees a one-score battle.

Pete Fiutak from CFN is one of the few leaning toward Clemson this time, settling on a 24–23 finish. He believes the Tigers will hang around through defensive moments and small breaks. “Clemson will come up with a takeaway, maybe two, and it’ll get more out of its lines. It won’t be easy, and there won’t be anything pretty, but its mistakes won’t be as catastrophic,” he said. He also pointed out that South Carolina hasn’t gained much from its home setting this season, while Clemson’s defense has usually tightened up on the road. In his view, a result like that would suddenly make the Tigers’ closing stretch look steadier. “All of a sudden, the four-game winning streak to close out the regular season will seem solid.”

Pat Forde’s read is the opposite, and his tone reflects how messy the year has been on both sides. He predicts the Gamecocks to take it 28–24 and framed the matchup through shared frustration. “The Palmetto Poverty Program Bowl is upon us. The Tigers began the season in the top five. The Gamecocks began it in the top 15. They’re now a combined 10–12. Ain’t nobody happy,” he said. Forde also brought back Clemson’s early-season stumble against Syracuse, adding, “Never forget that the Tigers actually lost (badly) at home to a Syracuse team that is now 3–8 and has been routed seven times in a row. (Maybe Steve Angeli deserves the Heisman.)”

Bleacher Report’s projection lines up with Forde’s pick, giving South Carolina the edge by a single point, 24–23. Even with those numbers, the recent history in Columbia runs the opposite direction. Clemson has walked out with a win in each of its last five visits, and the last time the Gamecocks won a home meeting in this series was 2018, when Clemson piled up points in a 56–35 shootout.

Advanced models don’t agree either, but they stay inside the same narrow scoring window. ESPN’s SP+ leans slightly toward Clemson at 51 percent, FEI backs South Carolina with a bigger gap and a 27–17 projection, and CFB-Graphs treats it like a toss-up with the Gamecocks holding just over half the win probability at 52.5 percent.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: National analysts make predictions for Clemson vs. South Carolina 2025