The 3 most important games on Clemson’s 2018 schedule
Clemson is ranked in the top two in most preseason polls and appears poised to return to the College Football Playoff.
Here are the three most important games for the 2018 season:
At Florida State, Oct. 27 – The winner of this game has won the ACC Atlantic the past nine seasons and the ACC the past seven years. Clemson opened as a 10-point favorite over the Seminoles when early college football lines were released in May. FSU is the most talented team the Tigers will face in the regular season, and Doak Campbell Stadium is a tough place to play.
At Boston College, Nov. 10 – Clemson’s toughest four-week stretch of the season concludes with a trip to Boston College on Nov. 10. The Tigers face N.C. State, Florida State, Louisville and Boston College in consecutive weeks in late October and early November. The Eagles went 7-6 last year with a blowout win against FSU. The Eagles also won four of their final five regular-season games. Boston College returns star running back AJ Dillon, who was named the ACC Rookie of the Year last season after rushing for 1,589 yards, which ranked seventh nationally.
South Carolina, Nov. 24 – South Carolina is the only team ranked in ESPN’s post-spring top 25 on Clemson’s schedule. The Gamecocks went 9-4 last season and return a veteran quarterback in Jake Bentley and some talented receivers, led by senior Deebo Samuel. You can make an argument that the game at Texas A&M in Week 2 is a tougher game, but the Tigers can still reach the playoff with a loss to the Aggies if they win out. Losing to South Carolina would almost assuredly cost Clemson a spot in the playoff, in addition to keeping the Tigers from extending the winning streak over USC to five games.
Clemson 2018 football schedule
(HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS)
Sept. 1 FURMAN, 12:20 pm (ACC Network)
Sept. 8 at Texas A&M, 7 pm (ESPN)
Sept. 15 GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 3:30 pm (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Sept. 22 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 29 SYRACUSE
Oct. 6 at Wake Forest
Oct. 20 NC STATE
Oct. 27 at Florida State
Nov. 3 LOUISVILLE
Nov. 10 at Boston College
Nov. 17 DUKE
Nov. 24 SOUTH CAROLINA
This story was originally published July 11, 2018 at 1:51 PM.