The ACC released Clemson’s 2018 football schedule last week and we wanted to take an inside look at who the Tigers will be facing as they look to repeat as ACC Champions for the fourth straight year and contend for another appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Furman (Sept. 1)
Head Coach:
Clay Hendrix, second year
Last Season:
Finished 8-5, lost to Wofford 28-10 in 2nd round of FCS playoffs
Outlook:
Clemson’s neighbors from Greenville will visit Death Valley to kick off the season. There may be some intrigue for Clemson fans in this game to see who will be the starting quarterback, but at the end of the day, Kelly Bryant led Clemson to a 12-2 record in his first year as a starter. It makes sense to keep him as QB for what should be a smooth start for the senior signal caller on opening day.
at Texas A&M (Sept. 8)
Head Coach:
Jimbo Fisher, first year
Last Season:
Finished 7-6, lost to Wake Forest 55-52 in the Belk Bowl
Outlook:
The Tigers hit the road for an early road test at Kyle Field against the Aggies, who are now led by Jimbo Fisher who replaces Kevin Sumlin. Fisher will look to reignite energy back into the program to compete in the SEC West, but will have his work cut out for him in the month of September, facing Clemson’s defense and Alabama, the defending national champions. This game will be important for both teams and it should be a great Week Two matchup.
Georgia Southern (Sept. 15)
Head Coach:
Chad Lunsford, first year
Last Season:
Finished 2-10, lost to Coastal Carolina in the regular season finale
Outlook:
In the first ever meeting between the two schools, the Tigers and Eagles tee it up in Week Three. Georgia Southern transitioned to the Sun Belt in 2014 and has experienced ups and downs since Jeff Menken left Statesboro to be the head coach at Army. However, they have been known to give teams from the Power Five some issues, so the Tigers can’t afford to look past the Eagles, but at the end of the day, Clemson has the better talent and should send the Eagles back home with a loss.
at Georgia Tech (Sept. 22)
Head Coach:
Paul Johnson, 10th year
Last Season:
Finished 5-6, lost to Georgia 38-7 in the regular season finale
Outlook:
Clemson opens the 2018 conference slate with a trip to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech has not beaten Clemson since 2014, and based on the previous season, Brent Venables and the Clemson defense know how to stop Paul Johnson’s triple option. When looking at what Clemson has returning on defense, it’s very hard to believe that their success against the Ramblin’ Wreck won’t continue.
Syracuse (Sept. 29)
Head Coach:
Dino Babers, third year
Last Season:
Finished 4-8, lost to Boston College 42-14 in the regular season finale
Outlook:
Returning home from Atlanta, this is a revenge game for Clemson as this was the only team in 2017 to beat Clemson outside of Alabama. Kelly Bryant went down with an injury, and the defense struggled to slow down the Orange’s fast paced offense. Clemson will be motivated and looking to make a statement that last year is in the past. The Tigers will surely put on a show for 80,000 clad in orange on the final Saturday of September.
at Wake Forest (Oct. 6)
Head Coach:
Dave Clawson, fifth year
Last Season:
Finished 8-5, beat Texas A&M 55-52 in the Belk Bowl
Outlook:
A trip to BB&T Field in Winston-Salem to kick off the month of October is on tap for the Tigers against the tricky Demon Deacons. This was a game last year where Clemson was only up 14-7 in the third quarter before pulling away to win 28-14. The Tigers will simply need to continue their regular regime to get to the bye week unscathed.
NC State (Oct. 20)
Head Coach:
Dave Doeren, sixth year
Last Season:
Finished 9-4, beat Arizona St. 52-31 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl
Outlook:
If the last few years are any indication, the Tigers will be in for a dogfight, coming out of the bye week against the Wolfpack. With a matchup against the Seminoles looming, the Tigers will look to continue improving in what should be a good precursor for things to come as Clemson opens the second half of the season.
at Florida State (Oct. 27)
Head Coach:
Willie Taggart, first year
Last Season:
Finished 7-6, beat Southern Miss 42-13 in the Independence Bowl
Outlook:
Gone is Jimbo Fisher, in comes Willie Taggart, who will be leading the Seminoles after only spending a year at Oregon. The Tigers will head down to Tallahassee, looking for their fourth straight win over FSU but will have to do it in a hostile environment against a supposedly improved FSU team. The winner of this game, if the last 9 years are any indication, will likely go on to win the Atlantic division. This game should be another fun one to wrap up October.
Louisville (Nov. 3)
Head Coach:
Bobby Petrino, ninth year
Last Season:
Finished 8-5, lost to Mississippi State in the Taxslayer Bowl
Outlook:
Louisville will be tasked in 2018 with replacing do-it-all QB Lamar Jackson, but that battle should be set in stone by the time the Cards visit Death Valley to open the month of November. The new Louisville QB will have to deal with a defensive line who will test him. Can he handle the pressure and possibly keep the game close? We will have to wait and see.
at Boston College (Nov. 10)
Head Coach:
Steve Adazzio, sixth year
Last Season:
Finished 7-6, lost to Iowa 27-20 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Outlook:
An early November road trip to Chestnut Hill will result in a face off against a scrappy Boston College team and A.J. Dillon, the top leading rusher in the ACC, which will present an interesting test for the defensive line. Since they only led by a touchdown going into the fourth quarter last year, this is another tricky game that the Tigers can’t look. Who will take home the O’Rourke McFadden Trophy this year?
Duke (Nov. 17)
Head Coach:
David Cutcliffe, 11th year
Last Season:
Finished 7-6, beat Northern Illinois 36-14 in the Quick Lane Bowl
Outlook:
Duke heads into Death Valley as Clemson faces the Blue Devils for the first time since 2012. This one should be, if the Tigers play up to their standard, a solid win heading into Rivalry weekend.
South Carolina (Nov. 24)
Head Coach:
Will Muschamp, third year
Last Season:
Finished 9-4, beat Michigan 26-19 in the Outback Bowl
Outlook:
Clemson will wrap up the 2018 regular season against the in–state rival from Columbia, looking to beat the Gamecocks for the fifth consecutive year. The Gamecocks return talent from last year’s team and will be motivated again after what happened last year, so there will be an interesting buildup heading into the matchup. However, as it stands right now, the Tigers are too much right now for the Gamecocks to handle.