College football upset picks Week 12: Oklahoma and 5 teams on upset alert
By Nick Villano
College football upset pick Week 12, No. 3: Clemson
Rank: NR | Opponent: vs. Wake Forest | Time: Saturday, Nov. 20, Noon ET
How is Clemson favored in this matchup? What have the oddsmakers seen from Clemson this season that makes them think that the Clemson Tigers should be favored against the ninth-ranked team in the league? Right now, Clemson is a 4.5-point favorite against Wake Forest.
This clearly shows oddsmakers do not trust Wake Forest to win the big game. Clemson is still the star of the ACC, so beating them is an accomplishment for teams who watched them just bowl over the rest of the conference for a decade. Now, Clemson is vulnerable, and the once laughing stock of the ACC is now the leader in the clubhouse.
Wake Forest needs to prove itself once again. They faced the cagey NC State last week, and the Demon Deacons scored 45 points to keep pace and take the victory. That showed moxie. Wake Forest was always two steps ahead of NC State until the very end when the Wolfpack scored with 45 seconds left. It would have looked even better without that garbage time score.
Wake is just the better team this season. Something magical is happening in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this year. They will ride this momentum to a win against the Tigers.