Let’s predict Clemson’s 2022 football schedule results, game by game
One more week of talking about the coming season means one final assessment of Clemson football’s chances of returning to the College Football Playoff after a one-year absence.
Here are my game-by-game picks for the preseason No. 4 Tigers, who kick off their 2022 season a week from Monday with an undeniably talented roster but lingering questions.
Sept 5: at Georgia Tech
This is a pretty sweet setup for the Tigers: playing close to home in a prime-time slot to wrap up what should be a glorious first full week of college football. And while No. 2 Ohio State gets No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 3 Georgia gets No. 11 Oregon, No. 4 Clemson gets … Georgia Tech.
That makes the Tigers’ Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta opener a little more manageable. They’ve won seven in a row and nine of the past 10 against the Yellow Jackets, whose coach, Geoff Collins, is on the hot seat after three straight three-win seasons. Clemson is a 21-point favorite, which sounds about right. Expect a strong showing from the Tigers’ stacked defense in a win.
▪ Projected record to date: 1-0
Sept 10: vs. Furman
Nothing warms the heart like an annual FCS cupcake game. As my USC Gamecocks beat writing colleague Ben Portnoy noted, in-state matchups like these are good for the state’s football tradition (and Furman’s finances). The most compelling on-field question: How much will freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik, DJ Uiagalelei’s much-hyped backup, play in what will be a stress-free blowout?
▪ Projected record to date: 2-0
Sept. 17: vs. Louisiana Tech
Clemson won’t break much of a sweat in its second home game either. Louisiana Tech isn’t Furman, but the Bulldogs of Conference USA are starting over with a new coach after a 3-9 season. Consider this another manageable warm-up to an ACC schedule that begins in earnest the following week. For a second week in a row, Clemson gets a win while backups get a chance at valuable reps.
▪ Projected record to date: 3-0
Sept. 24: at Wake Forest
This game, among many others on No. 22 Wake Forest’s schedule, took a turn earlier this month when the school announced starting quarterback Sam Hartman was out indefinitely with a non-football-related medical condition. That’s a tough break for the Demon Deacons and for Hartman, one of college football’s most talented and introspective quarterbacks.
If Hartman was playing, this game would be more of a toss-up. But with the timeline for his return so fuzzy, it’s tough to pick against the Tigers. Even during a historic 2021 season, Wake Forest couldn’t get past Clemson, getting gouged for 333 rushing yards and dropping a 13th straight contest to the Tigers. With a TBD quarterback under center, I say that continues.
▪ Projected record to date: 4-0
Oct. 1: vs N.C. State
And now the fun begins. This Textile Bowl throwdown between the preseason No. 4 and No. 13 teams in the country already has the makings of an instant classic. N.C. State broke an eight-game losing streak against Clemson last season, winning 27-21 in double overtime and prompting a usually guarded coach Dave Doeren to declare, “The curse is broken.”
Then N.C. State returned just about everybody and emerged as Clemson’s biggest threat for an ACC championship. This is the toughest call on Clemson’s schedule, a huge test for Uiagalelei and a game I can’t wait for. I’ll take the home team. Clemson will ride a 36-game home winning streak into this contest, and N.C. State hasn’t won in Death Valley since 2002. But it’s a toss-up.
▪ Projected record to date: 5-0
Oct. 8: at Boston College
Recent results (34-28 in 2020, 19-13 in 2021) indicate the gap’s narrowing a bit between Clemson and Boston College, a smart and physical team. I’ll pick the Tigers to win a 12th consecutive game against the Eagles, though the quarterback-wide receiver combination of Phil Jurkovec and Zay Flowers may do some damage before Clemson pulls away entirely.
▪ Projected record to date: 6-0
Oct. 15: at Florida State
Here’s another series that saw a much closer 2021 contest but the same result: a Clemson win. The Tigers will ride a six-game series winning streak into Tallahassee this fall. The Seminoles have the athletes to hang with any team for a while, which should be the case here, but I’ll take Clemson and bet on its defense making a few huge plays to stave off FSU on the road.
▪ Projected record to date: 7-0
Oct. 22: vs. Syracuse
It has been a long time since Dino Babers-led Syracuse upset Clemson in 2017 and finished No. 15 in the next season’s final AP poll. The program is 11-24 since. After two sneaky tough road contests, Clemson returns home and cruises over the weakest team in the Atlantic Division.
▪ Projected record to date: 8-0
Nov. 5: at Notre Dame
I’ve always been iffy on Notre Dame as a national championship contender (see: its 0-8 record in BCS/New Year’s Six bowl games). But I can’t knock the Irish when it comes to regular-season performance, as they regularly hold their own against Power Five teams — and recruit on an equal if not higher level — while elevating themselves into the CFP conversation annually.
Much like Clemson, Notre Dame has question marks at quarterback but athletic freaks across the rest of its position groups. I trust rookie coach Marcus Freeman to have the Fighting Irish in midseason form by Nov. 5, though. And Notre Dame Stadium is a tough road venue to compete in. In a matchup of preseason top-five teams, Notre Dame prevails and gives Freeman a signature win.
▪ Projected record to date: 8-1
Nov. 12: vs. Louisville
Star quarterback Malik Cunningham had Louisville humming last season, down 30-24 and in position to knock off Clemson ... and then he slipped. Cunningham’s fourth-and-goal falter preserved a tight Tigers’ victory, one of five single-possession games that went in their favor in 2021. What goes around comes back around at some point, right?
Clemson isn’t bullet-proof, especially after losing its star offensive and defensive coordinators, and Cunningham is one of the ACC’s most dynamic quarterbacks. After picking the Tigers to narrowly dodge N.C. State, I’ll go out on a limb and give Clemson its first ACC loss of the season — and its first home loss since 2016 to Pittsburgh — behind a career performance from Cunningham.
▪ Projected record to date: 8-2
Nov. 19: vs. Miami
When The U is “back” for the umpteenth time, proceed with caution. I like what Mario Cristobal’s doing at his alma mater, especially on the recruiting trail, and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke can really play. But Miami still has some work to do before becoming a full-blown ACC contender. After a rare two-game losing streak, Clemson gets back on track in a high-scoring affair.
▪ Projected record to date: 9-2
Nov. 26: vs. South Carolina
I’m excited to follow Year 2 of the Shane Beamer era (and my colleagues’ excellent coverage of it in The State) leading into this rivalry game. It’s tough to pick against history, though. Clemson has won seven consecutive games over USC and five by 21 points or more. With a strong run game showing, I think the Tigers finish Thanksgiving weekend on a high note.
This prediction also puts Clemson in the following week’s ACC Championship Game by virtue of a head-to-head win over N.C. State which, I’m guessing, also goes 7-1 in ACC play. But two losses will make for a quirkier CFP audition, one in which Clemson might need a convincing win over the Coastal champion (my pick: Pitt) as well as some other conference title game dominoes to fall in order to sneak into the playoff’s No. 4 spot.
▪ Final projected regular-season record: 10-2
