By Heath Bradley.

By Heath Bradley

One may ask, what is really at stake when Clemson faces Boston College on Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Mass.? Well the answer is very simple, everything.

Everything, every single goal for the Tigers is still on the board. It is important for Clemson fans to not forget this following last Saturday’s loss to Florida State. The No. 17 Tigers travel to Boston College this weekend looking to take a step back in the right direction, the direction toward reaching their team goals.

While the goal of every team is to win the national championship, the Clemson football program has five goals they look to accomplish every season. These goals are. 1. Win the Season Opener. 2. Win the ACC Atlantic Division. 3. Win the State Championship. 4. Win the ACC Championship. 5. Win the Bowl Game.

The Tigers have already accomplished their first team goal, which is to win the season opener. The Tigers defeated Auburn to open the season 26-19 in front of 75,211 fans in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome. This victory marked the first victory for the Tigers in the city of Atlanta since the 2003 season, when Clemson defeated another SEC opponent, the Tennessee Volunteers in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The Tigers are now onto their second goal, that goal is winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division Championship. This is a goal that the Tigers have accomplished twice during Dabo Swinney’s first three full seasons as head coach. While the Tigers suffered a setback due to their defeat in Tallahassee, they must continue to approach the season with winning the division as the next goal.

While Clemson must rely on help, two ACC teams being able to knock off the Seminoles, the Tigers must also take care of their own business. Another conference loss would all, but eliminate Clemson from division championship contention, that in itself should be motivation enough for the Tigers heading to Boston College this weekend.

The third goal, winning the State Championship or otherwise known as beating the South Carolina Gamecocks, is something that Swinney has not been able to do since taking over as the full-time head coach following the 2008 season. This game now takes on even extra meaning with both programs spending much of the past two seasons in the top 15 in the rankings.

Clemson will also be looking to win for the first time in three seasons to defend Swinney, who let his feelings be known about the in-state rival the week after the 2011 matchup. That “rant” is well known in the state, and one would have to believe Swinney and the Tigers plan to back those words up in 2012.

The fourth goal is something the Tigers accomplished in 2011 for the first time in 20 seasons, winning the ACC Championship. While the Tigers may be 3-1 right now, with a loss to division rival Florida State, until the end of the 2012 season the Tigers are defending ACC Champions.

That role is something that I am sure this team would love to be able to retain in 2012. While the odds are not in their favor, they are not mathematically eliminated, so taking care of business starting this week in Boston is of the utmost priority. Clemson showed the nation in the 2011 ACC Championship game that Clemson was back as a player nationally, and with so many young players playing a key role in that championship, the future is bright for the Tigers.

Clemson will look to win back-to-back ACC Championships for the first time since the 1986-’88 era, when it won three straight.

The final goal; win the bowl game. I am sure all of the national media will be quick to remind everyone the Tigers lost the Orange Bowl, not only that they lost the Orange Bowl, but also they lost 70-33. To me, that game was a fluke, the perfect storm of errors and mistakes from the Tigers. While West Virginia was the better team, they were not 37 points better than the Tigers.

I know personally this Clemson team is ready for another opportunity to play in another BCS game to prove that the outcome of that game versus West Virginia does not define the Clemson football program. There is also the possibility the Tigers could finish the season 11-1, do not play in the ACC Championship Game, but still reach the BCS.

As long as they are ranked high enough in the BCS rankings they can still receive an at large bid to a BCS Bowl, most likely the Sugar Bowl, as the Virginia Tech Hokies did in 2011. The possibility of a rematch between the Seminoles and Tigers is also not 100% out of the question, while it will take help from outside teams and conferences, there is the chance for a repeat of 2011, where an undefeated team plays a one loss team from the same conference.

While this chance is slim, every game that Clemson and Florida State continues to win makes it more possible. The Tigers still have the ability to accomplish all of their team goals in 2012. The number one reason they should be ready to play at Boston College this weekend is simple, pride.

The ability to play football at Clemson is an opportunity, not a right. An opportunity many can only dream of having, the ability to put on that Clemson uniform 12-14 times a year and have every Clemson fan alive cheering their hearts out for your success.

If the chance to accomplish your goals is not enough, the pride of playing for the Clemson Tigers should be.