When Clemson football takes on Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, it’s clear that the Tigers will be facing an emotional and determined Orange team.
The Clemson football team will open up its road slate with a game in the Carrier Dome against the Syracuse Orange.
Over the past few seasons, Syracuse has been the one ACC team to consistently give the Tigers trouble.
The Orange knocked off the Tigers two years ago in the Carrier Dome and came close to repeating last season in Death Valley when Trevor Lawrence went out with an injury.
Looking ahead to the primetime matchup, we reached out to Inside the Loud House Site Expert Paul Esden Jr. to talk about the ACC Atlantic showdown and what to expect from Syracuse heading into this 2019 season:
1. Primetime game, nationally televised. What does the Orange think about playing Clemson and potentially upsetting the Tigers early in the season?
Paul: Fans love to play the “what if” game and of course hindsight is always 20-20. But the Orange were 10-3 last season for the first time since 2001 and their three losses were all within their grasp (outside of the Notre Dame loss and Eric Dungey got hurt in the first quarter of that game).
If SU handled those games, the Orange coulda/woulda/shoulda been in the College Football Playoff. I know that’s crazy talk, but the root of all of that is Clemson. SU started the season 4-0 and were leading the Tigers for 99 percent of that game before a late touchdown allowed Clemson to escape. Syracuse fans want vengeance and this is turning into a real rivalry between Dabo Swinney and Dino Babers.