William Stehn
The Clemson football team saw a similar result against Troy to that of the 2016 team that won the national championship.
Even as Clemson enjoyed its first bye week of the season, there was no shortage of drama within the ACC and the broader college football landscape.
The biggest shock came in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Florida State was stunned 46-38 in a double overtime thriller on the road against ACC foe Virginia. The upset sent the Seminoles tumbling from No. 8 down to No. 18 in the recent AP Poll rankings.
With the win, Virginia now finds itself on the hunt for playoff contention, as it sits at 4-1, 2-0 in the ACC. For the first time since 2019, the team is ranked in the top 25.
The loss also leaves the ACC with just three undefeated teams remaining: Georgia Tech, Miami and Louisville. However, with head-to-head clashes approaching, things may look different just a week from today.
This Saturday, Miami travels to Tallahassee, Florida, to play the recently beaten Seminoles in a deep-rooted rivalry under the lights in this week’s marquee matchup in the ACC. Meanwhile, Louisville will look to keep its perfect season alive as it plays host to the red-hot Virginia squad, high on its recent upset and momentum.
Back in Tigertown, Clemson’s season also saw a hit despite not taking the field. All three of the team’s losses now look even worse after the weekend.
LSU, Georgia Tech and Syracuse all featured their worst performances of the season, with LSU falling to Ole Miss 24-19, Georgia Tech needing double overtime to knock off a 14-point underdog Wake Forest and Duke dominating Syracuse 38-3.
Now, Clemson looks to finally find its rhythm as it takes on the Bill Belichick-led North Carolina, which holds a 2-2 record, this week. The Tar Heels are coming off a 34-9 loss to UCF and look to get things rolling in Belichick’s first ACC contest.
Clemson will kick off Saturday at noon, and the game will be covered on ESPN.