Can't Wait For Saturday | Clemson looking for a return to the glory days ... five years ago

Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves

***

Are you ready for the most college football ever? Twelve teams in the playoffs means eight more postseason games than before. What used to be three is now 11 to decide who is best,

The favorites might dominate in the first two rounds. Or the semifinals will be filled with bottom seeds. We can only hope.

Kick back, relax and enjoy every moment of it. As a primer, I will use this space over the next month and half to count down my preseason Top 50. I welcome complaints and disagreements I might even include them in future stories.

And away we go ...

16. Clemson ACC

What's to like?

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have been there, done that. Clemson made six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015-20, winning two titles. The school has a recent tradition surpassed only by Alabama (eight). ... Eight starters are back on offense, including four lineman. ... Running back Phil Mafah is one of the top returnees in the ACC. ... Quarterback Cade Klubnik, though inconsistent, has the ability to star. ... Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin helped the unit finish among the nation's best. The Tigers were especially good at forcing turnovers. ... The team finished with a five-game winning streak, including a Gator Bowl victory against Kentucky. ... Miami, which beat Clemson in 2023, is off the schedul.

Reasons to worry

Only two starters are back on defense. Goodwin has proven to be a talented boss, but there might be too many holes to fill. ... The Tigers get no break in the schedule, opening the season against national title favorite Georgia in Atlanta. ACC favorite Florida State and top contenders Louisville and NC State are also scheduled. ... The pressure at Clemson is immense. Six years of making the playoffs spoiled the fan base. The fact they haven't been back in four years is a concern for some followers. Swinney is considered one of the best coaches in the country, but the game has changed in recent years. Is he keeping up?

Previous

50. Maryland Big Ten

49. Colorado Big 12

48. Georgia Tech ACC

47. Tulane American

46. UCF Big 12

45. South Florida American

44. Appalachian State Sun Belt

43. Rutgers Big Ten

42. Virginia Tech ACC

41. Texas Tech Big 12

40. Liberty Conference USA

39. South Carolina SEC

38. Washington Big Ten

37. North Carolina ACC

36. Boise State Mountain West

35. Memphis American

34. Kentucky SEC

33. Nebraska Big Ten

32. Florida SEC

31. Auburn SEC

30. SMU ACC

29. Wisconsin Big Ten

28. West Virginia Big 12

27. Iowa State Big 12

26. NC State ACC

25. Iowa Big Ten

24. Arizona Big 12

23. Louisville ACC--July 13

22. Southern California Big Ten

21. Kansas State Big 12

20. Texas A&M SEC--July 16

19. Kansas Big 12--July 17

18. Miami ACC

17. Oklahoma SEC