While the Clemson Tigers wanted to return to the College Football Playoff, that wasn’t to be, as the team went 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC. However, they played well enough in their season to earn a college bowl game, and they’ll take on another prestigious team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Dabo Swinney’s squad will be in the Pinstripe Bowl at New York’s Yankee Stadium just a few days after Christmas Day. Based on a recent video chat on TigerNet, coach Swinney was fired up for the matchup and isn’t treating this like a consolation prize after his team’s season.
He said he’d been keeping an eye on this particular bowl game, calling it a “unique opportunity to play a football game in Yankee Stadium.” He also mentioned how significant this game will be for many of Clemson’s players when they take the field in New York later this month.
Read more: Joel Klatt Calls Out Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame for Skipping Bowl Game
“We’ll have a lot of kids on the team that have never been to New York,” Swinney said on the ClemsonTigerNet video, adding, “To have an opportunity to not only go to an iconic city, but to play in a historic stadium with so much tradition, and to bring Tiger football up there where we have a huge alumni base, is really special.”
He indicated that this bowl game will be an essential final chapter in his team’s season, after it didn’t start the way they wanted. Despite struggles along the way, they went on a four-game winning streak to end their season, before claiming what Swinney called the “state championship” by defeating South Carolina State.
“One of our goals is to win the closer. This is the closer, and it just so happens we’re playing in Yankee Stadium to do it,” Swinney said.
Their bowl game features a Penn State program that fired its coach, James Franklin, during a disappointing season. Terry Smith took over as the team’s interim head coach, guiding them to this bowl game after finishing 3-6 in the conference and 6-6 overall. Swinney praised Smith for doing “an amazing job” and called Penn State a “national powerhouse” team.
The Nittany Lions, who recently hired Matt Campbell as the new head coach, will be looking to make a statement ahead of what they hope is an improved 2026 campaign. However, Swinney also feels it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip for his team, as they play in NYC’s historic venue in a big game with national exposure.
The BadBoy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl occurs on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, with Clemson and Penn State battling for bragging rights at the end of their seasons.
Read more: Ty Simpson, Alabama Get Clear Warning From Crimson Tide Legends Before CFP
For more about the Clemson Tigers and college football, head to Newsweek Sports.