Clemson Football: Miami matchup the biggest regular season game in years
The magnitude of this game is huge for Clemson football moving forward
When Clemson football takes the field Saturday night in Death Valley against the Miami Hurricanes, it will be with the understanding that this is the biggest regular season game in years for the Tigers.
This is the first time since the year 2016 that the Tigers will play a top-10 opponent during the regular season. The last time? A little gem we all remember as the Deshaun Watson vs. Lamar Jackson duel.
That’s right, Clemson football fans. The last time the Tigers played a top-10 team during the regular season, Deshaun Watson was leading the Tigers to a victory over Lamar Jackson in dramatic form. Clemson was ranked No. 5 in the nation and Louisville was No. 3. The Tigers went on to finish the regular season with an 11-1 record, make the CFB Playoff and win their first National Championship in more than 30 years.
This game means a lot for Clemson football and its perception
The overarching complaint that we always hear from opposing fan bases outside of the conference is that Clemson ‘never plays anybody‘ until the CFB Playoff. They claim that the Tigers go untested through the regular season.
While we all know that’s not really the case, a game like this is exactly what’s needed to begin to change the perception surrounding the ACC and the strength of schedule for Clemson football.
The Tigers could potentially end up playing two top-10 teams this season [Miami and then Notre Dame later in November] and then could follow that up with a potential top-10 matchup in the ACC Championship.
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The fact that they’ll be able to add these games to their resume certainly doesn’t hurt and could help make a lasting impact moving forward as the ACC attempts to turn things around.