It’s out there. From Charlotte, N.C., all the way to Bristol, Conn., a lot of the national media are calling for No. 8 North Carolina to upset No. 1 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday.

That does not surprise Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney in the least.

“I think that is just par for the course,” he said following Wednesday’s practice. “Every week we are expected to get beat, I think? That’s kind of the way it has been all year. It’s about every week everybody expects us to lose.”

Clemson is listed as a 5.5 point favorite going into the championship game. Despite the Tigers being undefeated and being on top of the College Football Playoff Rankings each week since they first came out five weeks ago, the talking heads on ESPN and other national media outlets have been talking about the Tigers’ possible demise, or at least expecting it.

But the Tigers have found a way to win each week, and lead the nation in game control.

Clemson was put on upset alert before heading up to Louisville on Sept. 17. A lot of the national media said Clemson would hang with Notre Dame on Oct. 3, but in the end the Irish were too good and too strong and would prevail.

The Tigers (12-0) were put on upset alert before demolishing Miami, 58-0, on Oct. 24. The national media was calling for a possible letdown at NC State a week later, and then against Florida State on Nov. 7, some indicated Clemson was not going to get over the hump and beat the Seminoles.

Even ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s son has picked against the Tigers three times this year, and again called for the upset on Saturday in Charlotte.

“I’m glad those people are not playing in between the lines,” Swinney said.

Swinney admits Clemson can get beat by the Tar Heels. North Carolina (11-1) has won 11 straight games and walloped everyone in the ACC Coastal Division.

Like Clemson, they too went 8-0 in ACC play and have earned their way to Charlotte. Quarterback Marquise Williams is one of the best players in the ACC. Running back Elijah Hood was a first-team All-ACC selection and rushed for 1,280 yards this season, while Ryan Switzer, Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins are explosive at wide receiver.

The Tar Heels’ defense has also greatly improved since last year, too.

“This is a championship team … Coastal Division Championship team. They are capable of beating anybody in my opinion. They can beat anybody in the country,” Swinney said, “but so can we. You have to play well. That’s just the way it is. You do not win games like this if you do not play well and do the things it takes to win games like this.

“So we are dialed in on doing what we have to do to be able to play well. People have doubted this team all year long.”

It’s been a long time. For the first time since 1981, the media who cover the ACC have selected a Clemson player and its head coach as ACC Player and Coach of the Year.

On Tuesday Dabo Swinney was picked by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) as its Coach of the Year, while on Wednesday Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was overwhelmingly given the nod as Player and Offensive Player of the Year.

In 1981, Danny Ford was named Coach of the Year, while All-American linebacker Jeff Davis took home Player of the Year honors. Incidentally, that was the last time Clemson won a national championship in college football. They finished that season 12-0.

Watson was the sixth Clemson player in the last seven years to take home some kind of player of the year honor from ACSMA.

“I think that is really special,” Swinney said.

Running back C.J Spiller was named ACC Player of the Year in 2009. In 2010, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was named Defensive Player of the Year. In 2011, wide receiver Sammy Watkins was named Rookie of the Year. In 2012, quarterback Tajh Boyd earned Player of the Year honors, while last year defensive end Vic Beasley was named as the Defensive Player of the Year.

“I think that is just awesome that we have been able to be that consistent,” Swinney said. “It is a credit to their teammates, the coaches for the job they have done in developing those players, our strength and conditioning program … every facet of our program.

“You earn those things. You just don’t luck up and be player of the year. This is a game of performance, and the reason those guys have won those awards is because they performed at an incredible high level with consistency that is rare.”

Watson enters the ACC Championship Game leading all conference players with 331.6 total yards per game and also tops the league in passing yardage (3,223), touchdown passes (27) and passing efficiency rating (161.9).

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of Gainesville, Georgia, has also rushed for 756 yards and nine touchdowns to further balance a Clemson offense that leads the conference in total yardage (502.5 yards per game) and ranks second in points scored (37.9 per contest).

“Deshaun has certainly been an elite player, not only in this conference, but throughout the country. And we need four more good quarters from No. 4, that’s for sure,” Swinney said. “Hopefully he will have some other awards along the way.”

Ray Ray McCloud update. Be prepared to see Clemson wide receiver Ray Ray McCloud some in the ACC Championship Game. Swinney said the freshman wide receiver was ready to play last week, and he has been working out with the team this week and will be ready to help the Tigers on Saturday.

Swinney says McCloud will be wearing a brace on his injured knee, but he thinks it will not slow down the freshman. Swinney said McCloud will probably wear some sort of knee brace throughout the rest of the postseason.