The Clemson Insider

QUALK TALK BLOG: Bye Week Viewers’ Guide

By: rmacrae@bellsouth.net September 12, 2014

By William Qualkinbush.

Bye weeks can be boring for fans of a certain team who are conditioned to follow that team every football Saturday. At the same time, it also gives fans an opportunity to sample a little bit of college football from around the country.

For Clemson supporters, this weekend is that chance. Here are some of the games Tiger fans can keep their eyes on while the team is away:

East Carolina at Virginia Tech, 12:00 PM, ESPN: ECU hasn’t done itself any favors in scheduling this season. With South Carolina in the rear view mirror and North Carolina coming up, the Pirates will travel to Blacksburg in search of a marquee victory. The best thing to happen in the ACC so far has been the win by the Hokies in the Horseshoe over Ohio State last week, but Frank Beamer will need his team to play well to avoid a letdown, even at home.

Louisville at Virginia, 12:30 PM, ACCN: Given the way Louisville dismantled Miami in its season opener, many are asking if the Cardinals are the second-best team in the Atlantic Division. A loss to Virginia in Charlottesville would end that conversation quickly. Virginia was out of sight, out of mind last week when they dismantled Richmond, but the Cavaliers gave a UCLA squad with playoff aspirations a run for its money in the season opener. This matchup seems lopsided, but it’s probably destined to be a closer game than it appears.

Georgia at South Carolina, 3:30 PM, CBS: This is definitely the game of the week in the nation. No other matchup features two ranked teams, and the SEC East hangs in the balance. Georgia has had two weeks to prepare for the Gamecocks, while South Carolina struggled to put East Carolina away last weekend. The Bulldogs have seized control of this game in theory, but the Gamecocks are always tough to take down in Williams-Brice Stadium

Kentucky at Florida, 7:30 PM, SECN: This game seems like a dud, and it may be. But Clemson fans would be wise to keep an eye on this one. Florida is expected to roll over Kentucky at home this week, but the Gators are still relatively unknown to the public. A win over Eastern Michigan does nothing to persuade people that Will Muschamp is the man for the job, and an underwhelming showing against an on-the-rise Wildcat program could be another nail in his coffin. Plus, this will be a good way to gauge the job Mark Stoops is doing in Lexington.

USC at Boston College, 8:00 PM, ESPN: Yet another theoretical sleeper, this game has some intrigue. The Trojans will travel all the way across the country to face a ho-hum opponent the week after an emotional conference road win over Stanford. If emotion is an issue, Steve Addazio’s Eagles will be ready to pounce. No one gives BC a chance here, meaning the backs-against-the-wall mentality Addazio loves to use will be in full effect. USC has been impressive so far, but this is a different kind of challenge.

God Bless!