The Clemson football team will face a solid test in the ACC Championship game as the Tigers prepare for Virginia, led by QB Bryce Perkins.
The Clemson football team capped off its regular season with a 38-3 domination of in-state rival South Carolina.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 12-0 on the season and are in position to get back to the CFB Playoff for a fifth-straight year.
The only thing standing in their way? The Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Championship.
The Cavaliers reeled off an impressive victory last weekend over in-state rival Virginia Tech to clinch a berth in the ACC Championship game. One of the major reasons for Virginia’s success and top-25 ranking has to do with the play of QB Bryce Perkins.
Not only will Perkins be a challenge for the Clemson football defense, he is going to prepare the Tigers for what is yet to come should they come away with a victory Saturday night in Charlotte.
Over the course of this season, Perkins has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,949 yards and 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He has also rushed 196 times for 687 yards and 11 touchdowns. That dual-threat ability is going to challenge the Tigers, particularly at linebacker and in the secondary, and give Clemson a taste of what they should expect moving forward.
If the Tigers beat the Cavaliers Saturday night, they can expect to compete against one of two teams in the CFB Playoff semifinals: Either Ohio State or LSU.
Whether it be the Buckeyes or the Tigers, there’s one definite correlation: A dynamic quarterback.
LSU’s Joe Burrow is likely the Heisman Trophy winner this season. Ohio State’s Justin Fields isn’t far off that list. Because of the prolific nature of both quarterbacks- they’re both dual-threats- it will certainly be an advantage for the Tigers to face an athlete like Bryce Perkins.
This isn’t to say that Perkins is as talented as Burrow or Fields- or that Perkins has the play-makers around him that both of the other guys possess- but it is to say that he should test the Clemson football defense and give the Tigers an opportunity to see what areas the unit needs to improve upon heading into the CFB Playoff.
Both Burrow and Fields will look to run the ball at times- especially Fields- just as Perkins will do. While they both have more talented arms, Perkins certainly has the ability to throw the ball and he will find open receivers if they are there, unlike some of the other quarterbacks Clemson has faced earlier in the season.
This will be a great challenge for the Tigers and it will be a small step towards preparing for the CFB Playoff in just a few weeks, assuming a victory.