How to watch and stream the Clemson vs Virginia ACC championship football game

Clemson football is now officially in the “championship phase” of its season, as the Tigers go against Virginia on Saturday in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. What you need to know:

What time do Clemson and Virginia play today?

Who: Clemson vs Virginia, ACC Championship Game

When: 7:30 pm Saturday

Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte

TV: ABC

Radio: 1400 AM in Columbia, 93.3 in Greenville (Don Munson, C.J. Spiller, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather) ... See all the radio affiliates around the state here.

Satellite radio: Sirius XM 81, ESPN Xtra

Stream: WatchESPN

Line: Clemson by 28.5

Series history: Clemson leads 38-8-1, with a three-game win streak dating back to 2008. The Tigers and Cavaliers last met in 2013, with CU winning 59-10

Weather: Clear with temperatures in the mid-40s at kickoff, dipping into the upper 30s by the end of the game

What’s at stake

An ACC championship, of course. Beyond that, Clemson would lock in its fifth consecutive conference title and College Football Playoff berth with a victory and make one final case to move up from the No. 3 seed it’s been stuck at for four weeks now, much to Dabo Swinney’s chagrin. And a victory would also push the Tigers’ win streak to 28 games, tied for 15th longest in NCAA Division I history.

With the platform of a conference championship game, Saturday could also give players like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and Isaiah Simmons a stage upon which to re-introduce themselves to a national audience that has put the Tigers on the back burner. Lawrence and Etienne in particular could move up some Heisman ballots with a strong showing.

A Virginia upset, on the other hand, would shock the college football world and could very seriously threaten Clemson’s CFP hopes. And it would also get the Cavaliers to 10 wins for the first time since 1989 and only the second time in program history, putting an exclamation point on a historic season.

Virginia players to watch

1. Senior quarterback Bryce Perkins is one of the top dual-threat players in the nation, leading the Cavaliers in rushing yards in addition to throwing for more than 245 yards per game. Dabo Swinney calls him a “‘wow’ guy” with explosive potential, and he accounted for 27 touchdowns this season. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster previously noted that the Cavaliers do a good job of mixing designed runs in with passing plays and scrambles for Perkins to keep defenses off balance.

2. Senior wide receiver Joe Reed ranks just third on the team in receiving yards with 627 on the season, but where he really shines is on special teams — he’s returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his career, including two this year, and is one of only 10 players in FBS history with more than 3,000 career kick return yards. He was a dual first-team All-ACC selection, at kick returners and all-purpose back.

3. Junior safety Joey Blount does it all for UVA, with 79 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery, helping lead a unit that ranks in the top 30 nationally in yards allowed per game. A third-team All-ACC selection, Blount is also the son of an All-ACC player, Tony Blount, who played for the Cavaliers in the late 1970s.

Clemson players to watch

1. Re-crowned ACC Player of the Year Travis Etienne, a junior running back, is coming off his worst game of the season, from a yardage standpoint, against South Carolina. Before he was limited to just 51 yards against the Gamecocks, he had reeled off six 100-yard games in a row and looked every bit as dominant as he did last year en route to a top-10 Heisman finish. Virginia ranks 26th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game, at 123.3.

2. Virginia’s secondary has struggled, especially with depth, this season, and the Cavaliers rank 49th in passing efficiency defense. Enter junior receiver Tee Higgins, who torched South Carolina to the tune of 101 yards and two touchdowns on just three receptions, continuing a standout season in which few opposing defenses have been able to stop his explosiveness. His big-play ability should give Virginia fits.

3. Fifth-year safety Tanner Muse is part of a smaller group of seniors for Clemson and has been around for every ACC title the Tigers have won since 2015. While linebacker Isaiah Simmons has rightfully earned most of the praise and awards on Clemson’s defense, Muse has put together an outstanding All-ACC season, intercepting a team-high four passes and solidifying the secondary.

Clemson projected depth chart

This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 5:01 AM.

Greg Hadley

The State

Covering University of South Carolina football, women’s basketball and baseball for GoGamecocks and The State, along with Columbia city council and other news.