Last year, the Clemson football team played six teams that were ranked at the time they beat them – Auburn, Louisville, Virginia Tech, NC State, South Carolina and Miami. Those six wins over top 25 teams marked the most in Clemson history for one season.
The Tigers also played 10 teams that went to bowl games last year and had a winning record. Clemson beat nine of those 10 teams and of those nine teams seven won at least eight games in 2017.
The 2017 season was a difficult one. However, that is not the case this year.
Heading into the 2018 football season, Clemson is scheduled to play just two teams that are ranked in Athlon’s Preseason Top 25 preseason poll. Texas A&M, who Clemson visits on Sept. 8 in College Station, is No. 25, and Florida State, who the Tigers visit on Oct. 27, is ranked No. 13.
As of right now that is it. Of course that could, and possibly will, change once the season gets going, but as of right now the road to a fourth straight trip to the College Football Playoff does not seem as difficult of a task as it has been in the last three years.
To make matters even better for Clemson, the Tigers do not play back-to-back road games all year. It is the first time since 1986 they will not play consecutive home games until the last two weeks of the season.
The schedule is also unusual in the fact Clemson will alternate home and road games through the first 11 weeks of the season, a first in school history. By the way, the Tigers off week comes on Oct. 13, right smack in the middle of the season.
Everyone expects Texas A&M and Florida State to be obvious pitfalls, but Clemson’s trip to Boston College on Nov. 10 is one to watch. Remember, the Tigers slipped up and lost to unranked Pittsburgh at home in 2016 and then unranked Syracuse on the road last year.
If you are looking for a game the Tigers could lose that no one is expecting, it could be at Boston College. Running back A.J. Dillon and the BC running game will be a challenge for the Clemson defense to slow down. Dillon rushed for more 1,500 yards as a freshman. The Tiger did hold him to 57 yards rushing last year on 18 carries.
However, last year’s game with BC was tied, 7-7, heading into the fourth quarter before Clemson scored 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away.
NC State (Oct. 20 at home) and at Georgia Tech (Sept. 22) are also other potential pitfalls if the Tigers are not focused on the task at hand.
Las Vegas set Clemson’s over-and-under win total for the new season at 11 wins and you really can’t go over that, but it is difficult to pick less than 11 wins as well.
Can football season just get here already?
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