Is Clemson’s biggest ACC threat its most unlikely opponent?

The favorite to win the ACC might be decided in Death Valley on Saturday when No. 5 Clemson hosts No. 14 Syracuse.

Despite a trio of important wins over division rivals Wake Forest, NC State and Florida State, Clemson’s toughest test to date might actually be Syracuse.

The No. 5 Tigers are 7-0 and 5-0 in ACC play. After edging out the Deacs, avenging last year’s loss to the Wolfpack and making sure the Noles aren’t on the come-up just yet, Clemson has to be ready for Dino Babers’ No. 14 Orange on Saturday. Although they have not played as tough of a schedule at the Tigers have, Syracuse is going bowling this season and Dino Babers’ job is safe.

While it is a tough row to hoe for Syracuse beyond its road date in Death Valley, a win over Clemson would put the Orange in the driver’s seat to get to Charlotte out of the ACC Atlantic.

Syracuse appears to be Clemson’s biggest threat to come out of the ACC

For Clemson to get back to Charlotte, the Tigers are probably going to need to go 7-1 in conference play and have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Syracuse. Their two other ACC games are at home vs. a struggling Louisville team and a rebuilding Miami program. Although they will not want to lose either of those to avoid Selection Committee shenanigans, they could afford to.

Because Clemson holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Florida State, North Carolina State and Wake Forest, the Tigers would have to be a game worse than the Seminoles, Wolfpack and Demon Deacons in the ACC Atlantic race not to win the division. Meanwhile, Syracuse still has to play Florida State and Wake Forest in-division this season. The Orange had no issues vs. the Wolfpack.

What makes this game so significant is not only will the winner remain undefeated, but it would have the head-to-head tiebreaker in the superior ACC division. The best team in the ACC Coastal currently is North Carolina, but the Tar Heels have a defense that cannot stop a nosebleed. Outside of the two-loss Pittsburgh Panthers, everybody else in the ACC Coastal has three losses already…

Not to say this crucial conference game between the Orange and Tigers will decide the ACC, but it is certainly trending in that direction. If the Tigers win, it is going to be hard to envision a scenario where Clemson slips up and doesn’t make the playoff. Should the Orange pull off the monumental road upset, we may have to start having serious discussions on if Syracuse has a legitimate shot.

Regardless, the early afternoon game between Syracuse and Clemson could be for all the marbles.

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