By Will Vandervort.

To say Clemson’s 2015 schedule will be a challenging one is an understatement.

After opening the season with two so-called patsy games at home against Wofford and Appalachian State, the Tigers have just five days to prepare for their first ever trip to Louisville on Thursday, September 17 to open the ACC season.

The Louisville game will be the first of seven straight against 2014 bowl teams.

“I am always excited to see the schedule for the upcoming season because it allows us to plan our journey for the next season,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement prepared by Clemson.  “There is no doubt this will as challenging a schedule as we have ever had with some great home games and tough games in road venues.

“We are already preparing for the challenge and can’t wait to get started with spring practice (March 2).”

Clemson has won four straight Thursday night regular season games dating to the 2009 season. It will be the first time Clemson has had just five days to prepare for a game since 2012 when the Tigers won at Wake Forest.

Clemson does, however, have an open week—its only one of the season—to prepare for Notre Dame on Oct. 3. The Tigers have 16 days in between the Louisville and Notre Dame games to get prepared—the most for a game since 1918—before they start a three-week stretch in which they will host the Irish, Georgia Tech and Boston College.

Clemson has not played Notre Dame since 1979 and the Irish have not been to Death Valley since the 1977 season when Joe Montana led them to a 21-17 come-from-behind victory. The Tigers won the rematch in South Bend two years later with a come-from-behind win of their own.

The Tigers follow that up with a tough three-week stretch which includes back-to-back road games to Miami and NC State before hosting Florida State on Nov. 7 for what could be the championship game for the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

Clemson won its last trip to face Miami in 2009 by a 40-37 score in overtime. The road team has won all four meetings since Miami joined the ACC in 2004. The winner of the Clemson-FSU game has won or played for the ACC Championship every year since 2008.

The Tigers concluded the season with a road trip to Syracuse on Nov. 14 and then host Wake Forest in the home finale on Nov. 21. The annual grudge match with rival South Carolina will be in Columbia on Nov. 28.

The 2015 Football Schedule

Sept. 5 WOFFORD

Sept. 12 APPALACHIAN STATE

Sept. 17 at Louisville (Thurs.)

Sept. 26 OPEN

Oct. 3 NOTRE DAME

Oct. 10 GEORGIA TECH

Oct. 17 BOSTON COLLEGE

Oct. 24 at Miami

Oct. 31 at NC State

Nov. 7 FLORIDA STATE

Nov. 14 at Syracuse

Nov. 21 WAKE FOREST

Nov. 28 at South Carolina