Clemson Tigers’ Week 10 ACC Championship Rooting Guide: Wins First, Rivals’ Results Matter Too
Start by beating Georgia Tech
Clemson hosts Georgia Tech in its final ACC home game of the season. The Yellow Jackets have one conference win, against Duke, and enter after four straight losses.
Georgia Tech has not won on the road this season. Clemson is favored after earning back-to-back away wins, and a victory would make it three straight. The Tigers then face Duke on Friday night, a game that gives them control over their own destiny in that matchup.
SMU result could simplify race
A Saturday loss would leave SMU with three conference losses and remove the Mustangs from contention, according to the article. Clemson, Duke and Louisville would remain in the mix, leaving the Tigers to focus on the Demon Deacons and Cardinals.
An SMU win would count as a top-15 victory and could strengthen its position in a tiebreaker. The Mustangs still have Notre Dame ahead, which could affect their non-conference strength of schedule.
Wake Forest and Louisville matter
The article says Wake Forest’s non-conference strength of schedule may not match Clemson, Louisville and SMU if the Demon Deacons lose another game. It identifies a loss to Duke in Wake Forest’s final regular-season game as the result that would help Clemson most.
Louisville, another two-loss team, would also need to lose once more to improve Clemson’s chances. The Cardinals have Kentucky, described as a team currently in a College Football Playoff spot, and games against North Carolina and Pitt. The article says Louisville could reach Charlotte if it wins those games and its non-conference opponents Ole Miss and Kentucky keep winning.
Other results and remaining uncertainty
Clemson benefits if LSU and South Carolina keep winning, the article says, though Louisville may be an exception. Miami is presented as a possible helpful opponent for Clemson in Charlotte, but the article says the Hurricanes would need to lose out to miss the championship.
Miami still has Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College on its schedule, making that outcome unlikely, according to the article. It adds that this result matters mainly in a highly unlikely scenario. The ACC race has more time to develop, and Clemson’s immediate priority remains winning.
Key points
- Clemson has two conference games left: Georgia Tech and Duke.
- A loss by SMU would remove the Mustangs from contention, the article says.
- Louisville dropping another game would help Clemson’s chances.
- The ACC race could take three more weeks to resolve.