The Clemson Tigers goes their third national championship in five years in 2020, and it all starts with a road game versus Wake Forest.
Just like the last four to five seasons, one of the favorites to win the College Football National Championship in 2020 are the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers lost some key players from their 2019 team that ran the table and fell just one game short of repeating as National Champions. But, thanks to some elite recruiting, Clemson is still loaded on both sides of the ball, and they return the best quarterback-runningback duo in the country with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, both of which are Heisman favorites entering the season.
With the revamped schedule, and with Notre Dame joining the ACC for the season, Clemson will need to get these new faces acclimated for football on the college level quickly and efficiently, especially the wide receivers, if the Tigers want to maintain their dominance in the ACC. Clemson’s top targets from 2020 were Tee Higgins, who is now in the NFL and Justyn Ross, whose playing career is reportedly in jeopardy, is out for 2020 with a spinal injury. But Amari Rogers looks to take on his new role and become Lawrence’s favorite target for the season.
The Tigers’ defense lost linebacker Isaiah Simmons, cornerback A.J. Terrell, and safety K’Von Wallace, but look to be well equipped to not drop off in 2020 by having some experienced players step into bigger roles, but also with a couple of freshman coming in and making their name known in their first year. Both Bryan Bresee, the number one overall recruit and top defensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class, and Myles Murphy, the number one defensive end in the 2020 class, both look to find their way into the Clemson starting line up in their first year on the Tigers’ defensive line.
For Wake Forest, they have been consistently-average for the four seasons, finishing with two 7-6 records, and two 8-5 records, but have gone 3-1 in their bowl games during that span. 2020 could have been a big season for Wake Forest and expectations would be higher for the Deamon Deacons had Jamie Newman not transferred to Georgia, but now it looks to be headed for another season of hovering around the .500 mark.
But with Clemson having to fill some holes on both sides of the ball, Wake Forest could keep things interesting in this one. It’s Week One, the offseason was as wacky as it could be, causing reps for inexperienced and new players to be decreased and causing chemistry to be detoured between Lawrence and his new receivers. And the Wake Forest defense returns eight starters from their 2019 season, providing experience in a year they could need it the most. I’m not saying an upset is going to happen, but it is more likely to happen than you would think.
How to watch and how to bet on Clemson vs. The Citadel
Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Stadium: Truist Field
TV Info: ABC
Odds: Clemson -33, O/U 60
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: An upset is possible, but so is me going on a date with Vanessa Hudgens, meaning it is a longshot for Wake Forest to win in this one. Regardless if Trevor Lawrence can form chemistry and a connection with his wideouts, running back Travis Etienne, is one of the best players in the nation and will be able to take some pressure off of the Tigers’ air game. The Tigers defense forces several turnovers and Clemson starts the season off as expected.
Score: Clemson 55, Wake Forest 20.
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