The Clemson football team will take on the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Championship. Here are five storylines to watch in the matchup.
The Clemson football team completed the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record, capping off the year with a 38-3 win over in-state rival South Carolina.
Because the Tigers clinched the ACC Atlantic Division earlier in the season, they locked up a spot in the ACC Championship game.
Clemson football will take on the ACC Coastal Division winning Virginia Cavaliers for the right to be conference champions.
Here’s a look at five storylines to watch heading into the ACC Championship.
5. Virginia’s first ACC Championship game
First, it should be noted that this is Virginia’s first-ever ACC Championship game. Since the conference began the championship-game format in 2006, the ACC Atlantic Division has seen Clemson, Florida State and Wake Forest represent the division.
The ACC Coastal Division has seen every single team in the division- other than Virginia- participate in one year or another.
Not only have the Cavaliers never competed in an ACC Championship game, they’ve only won two conference titles in the history of their program (1989, 1995).
It should be interesting to see how the Virginia football faithful respond to being in Charlotte and watching their team compete Saturday night.
4. CFB Playoff berth on the line
Let’s not bury the lead: There’s a CFB Playoff berth on the line for Clemson football. That’s why this game matters so much.
If the Tigers lose, they’re basically out of the playoff picture minus a miracle happening.
If Clemson wins, the Tigers clinch a spot.
Clemson has found a way to remain unscathed all season long and there’s just one more obstacle in its way. Can the Tigers get the job done Saturday night?
That’s the major question.
3. Who has the advantage in matchups?
Though Clemson football is clearly the more talented team, there are some interesting matchups within the game that should be fun to watch.
How do the Tigers contain UVA QB Bryce Perkins? Perkins has accounted for more than 70 percent of the Cavaliers’ offense this season and he’ll be the best play-maker that the Tiger defense has faced all season.
In that same breath, it should also be noted that Virginia is one of the worst in the nation at running the ball and protecting the quarterback, giving up an average of three sacks per game.
On the other side of the ball, Virginia has the nation’s No. 27 overall defense, but the Cavaliers haven’t faced an offense with the firepower of Clemson.
It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers go about guarding all of the Tigers’ big-play threats.
2. Travis Etienne’s pursuit of career records
Travis Etienne is in position to leave Clemson football as the program’s all-time leading rusher.
Etienne already broke the ACC record for career touchdowns and rushing touchdowns- in just three seasons- and he’s now in pursuit of the all-time record for rushing yards in Clemson history.
Etienne currently sits at No. 3 on the Tigers’ all-time rushing leader board with 3,810 yards. He’s just 72 yards away from passing James Davis (3,881 yards) for No. 2 and is just 157 yards away from taking the No. 1 overall spot, currently held by Raymond Priester (3,966 yards).
It’s certainly expected that Etienne will surpass Davis in the ACC Championship game, but there’s certainly a chance that he leaves Bank of America Stadium Saturday night as the program’s all-time leading rusher.
1. Five-straight conference titles
This is a big deal, whether Clemson football fans realize it or not.
Though the ACC Championship game has been taken a bit for granted as of late by Tiger fans, it’s still a big milestone for Clemson and is a program goal each season.
There was a time not so long ago that Clemson football fans would’ve given anything just to win a conference title. Now, it seems like it’s just a given that the Tigers will come away with the trophy.
Clemson has 18 ACC Championships in program history, but is currently on the longest conference winning streak in its history. Before this streak of four-straight, the longest conference winning streak for the Tigers was three- which was achieved in 1965-67, as well as in 1986-88.
Winning five-straight would put the Tigers one step closer to matching the impressive streak set by Florida State (1992-200) of nine-straight.