Clemson vs. North Carolina: Battle for a playoff berth

As the Clemson Tigers and North Carolina Tarheels kick off tonight, just sit back and enjoy what you’re witnessing as a college football fan. Not only will it be the final game of the best Saturday of the year … there’s history on the line. If Clemson wins, it’s nothing but orange atop the CFP rankings heading into the Playoff — case closed.

However, a UNC win would give the committee reason to put them in the Final Four, shaking up a group that is bound to see adjustmens if Clemson can’t finish their season perfect, fair or unfair.

With that said, let’s get right into it… keys to the game, on offense and defense, for both squads:

Clemson’s Keys to Victory

• On offense, hold onto the football: Last week against South Carolina, the Clemson offense was tanked by untimely turnovers and drive-stalling mistakes. They have breathing room for one, perhaps two tonight, but any more will effectively hand away the ACC title game. Deshaun Watson seems to be born for moments like this one. It’ll be up to him to command a fast, physical and safe offense game plan that plays to his strengths.
• On defense, make it count in the red zone: UNC is going to move the ball. That’s just a fact, and one that Dabo Swinney probably understands. His job as head coach through the week had to be emphasizing a revised version of “bend but don’t break” into a “if we bend, please don’t break” mentality. The Tarheels have firepower — Clemson can withstand the blows by tightening up when it counts.

North Carolina’s Keys to Victory

• On offense, don’t be afraid to take chances: The worst thing UNC can do on their big stage tonight is play anywhere near vanilla on offense. Underdogs don’t take care of business by “sticking to the script”, no matter what coaching cliches you have have heard throughout the week. Clemson will score and if all goes according to plan, they will win. It’s up to the Tarheels to dig into the playbook and ensure the Tigers don’t know what’s coming.
• On defense, force Clemson to be one-dimensional: If there’s one thing we’ve seen with Clemson’s opponents this season, it’s the simple fact that nobody wants Watson or RB Wayne Gallman or breaking loose early. He has game-breaking potential and isn’t afraid to use it. For North Carolina, the plan is simple: crowd the box, force Watson to throw, and let him beat you with his arm. Chances are, a one-dimensional Watson doesn’t equal a blowout.

The Prediction

The prediction is simple (well, it’s changed from earlier in the week, but it’s simple).

Clemson is still under-appreciated and not respected as the number one seed. Tonight, they’ll help everyone understand why they’re deserving of the driver’s seat.

Tigers win in a great clash, 35-28.