The Clemson football schedule is out, and to me it seems to be a very manageable one.

It has its pitfalls, like its two toughest ACC road games—at Louisville and at Virginia Tech—come in the first month of the season. However, there are no back-to-back road games on the schedule and the Florida State game is the last conference game of the season.

Now the question is how many games can the reigning national champions actually win? It’s hard to judge that based on the fact Clemson has to replace its starting quarterback, center, two wide receivers, running back and its tight end. Basically, the majority of its offensive production is gone.

On defense, the Tigers have to replace four starters, but for the most part they come back in pretty well shape on that side of the ball. However, with the offense trying to find a new leader and some new production, there will be a lot of pressure put on the defense early on in the season.

Despite all the questions on offense, we all know Clemson has recruited well enough to know they will answer the majority of those questions and will be right in the thick of the ACC Championship race as well as the College Football Playoff mix.

That leads me to this question. How many games can the Tigers win in 2017? Will the streak of 10-win seasons continue?

When you look at the schedule and you go by just knowing what you know, it appears the Tigers have six built in wins. The way I look at it I see wins vs. Kent State, vs. Boston College, vs. Wake Forest, at Syracuse, vs. The Citadel and at South Carolina.

Then there are games Clemson will be favored to win, but you can’t guarantee a win: vs. Georgia Tech and at NC State. Then of course there are the 50-50 games that can go either way. They of course are vs. Auburn, at Louisville, at Virginia Tech and vs. Florida State.

When looking at it this way, I can see at worst the Tigers going 9-3 in 2017 and at best 11-1.

I think it will be tough to expect Clemson to survive both trips to Louisville and Virginia Tech and still be undefeated. You also figure the Tigers will split the Auburn and Florida State games at home. I think Clemson will beat Georgia Tech and NC State, but the State game will be a tough one especially considering what happened last year in Death Valley.

In the end, I think Clemson will finish the year 10-2. I’m not sure where those two losses come from, but the Tigers are sure to be right in the mix of things once again in the ACC and you never know, a break here and there, and they could be right back in the College Football Playoff again. Wouldn’t that be something?

That’s what makes playing the win-loss game this time of year so fun, because you really don’t know what’s going to happen.

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