Clemson football: 5 bold predictions for 2020

Clemson football bold prediction No. 3: Biggest game will be at Notre Dame

The ACC recently announced major, albeit expected, wholesale changes to the 2020 football schedule. The teams in the conference will play a 10-game slate in the ACC and will be able to play one non-conference game provided that the opponent is in-state competition. Moreover, the division within the ACC will be done away with for this one season. All of this, of course, is in response to the ongoing pandemic in the United State.

While we don’t know exactly when Clemson or any of the other teams in the ACC will be matching up with one another, we do know which teams will play the others. That leaves the Tigers playing home games against Boston College, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia. On the road, Swinney’s team faces off with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

The last game mentioned in that run, a trip to South Bend to face the one-year member of the ACC amid the pandemic, Notre Dame, will be the most critical game for the Tigers. That’s simply because this team gets their toughest opponent on the truncated schedule on the road, even if there are limited or no crowds in attendance.

Notre Dame isn’t getting a ton of recognition right now but they could be incredibly dangerous. They have an experienced offense, particularly on the line, and a talented defense. Overall, they should be able to cause some problems if they play their game, pushing Clemson’s quest for a perfect season to the brink.