I combed through the college football schedule and have highlighted some games below that Clemson fans may find interest in for various reasons — besides the Clemson game of course. Additionally, I have sprinkled in some games that I will be paying attention to for reasons other than my Clemson fandom. It’s early in the season, so there are not a lot of great match ups and it’s too early to see how the ACC race is shaping up, but if you are a college football sicko you will still find a way to enjoy
the early parts of the season.
GAMES TO WATCH
SMU v. Baylor: SMU burst on to the scene in their first year in the ACC. No reason to believe that they won’t be in the mix for the top of the ACC again. SMU can have another successful season in the ACC then they will be in the mix for a spot the ACC Championship. Additionally, Clemson hosts SMU on October 18 so you can get an early glimpse at a future opponent of the Tigers. This week may also be an interesting game. Baylor fell to Auburn 38-24, however, Baylor was only down one score for much of the latter part of the game. Don’t be surprised if Baylor is able to compete with SMU and make this a fun one to watch.
North Carolina v. Charlotte: Given the lack of fight that North Carolina put up against TCU this may be a competitive game. There are few reasons to watch this game. First, the Clemson and UNC match up on October 4. Second, they are in the ACC but considering the results of their first game they may not factor into ACC championship race. The most important reason to watch, is that Bill “Big Brain” Belichick thought he could bring his cerebral brand of football to UNC and have an impact. Giving the whooping that TCU handed them, this may not be as easy as Belichick thought. If they lose to or barely beat Charlotte, then UNC may be in for a long season. Watching UNC and Belichick nosedive this season will bring me joy because UNC, as my grandma would say, has gotten too big for their britches. I also want to see Belichick melt down because being a head coach at a college football program is harder than he realized.
Syracuse v. UConn: Syracuse hung around in the game with Tennessee with their offense having some success against Tennessee’s defense. This game should help us better gage how good (or bad) Syracuse is this season. We play The Orange on September 20 so this will help us understand how competitive that game will be.
Boston College v. Michigan State: This should be a good litmus test for Boston College. Clemson plays Boston College on October 11 so we should watch this game view how competitive the game will be.
Duke v. Illinois: This game should help us see how good Duke is. They were surprisingly good by their own standard. This was even more surprising when you consider that it was Manny Diaz’s first year and he had disappeared since losing the Miami job. Illinois is also coming off a very successful year by its own standards. They are currently ranked No. 11, and they are only a 3-point favorite to according to one sportsbook. If Duke is competitive with Illinois, it could mean they will be competitive in the ACC this year.
South Carolina v. South Carolina State: As a life-long Clemson fan, my hatred for Virginia Tech is only outdone by my hatred for South Carolina. They did struggle for most of the game against Virginia Tech. I hope that the struggles continue against SC State. My family is full of Clemson fan. One of my uncles once said during the mid-2000s that if South Carolina played the Taliban, he “would hope for a 0-0 tie.” Since this a Clemson publication, I do not need to further explain this deep hatred.
