Five Clemson football players we’re counting on to win the ACC Championship
The Clemson football team is set to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this Saturday in Bank of America Stadium for the ACC Championship.
The No. 3-ranked Tigers will take on the No. 2-ranked Fighting Irish in a matchup of two teams that seem almost destined for the CFB Playoff.
While it’s certainly possible that Clemson football could lose the game and still make the playoff as a two-loss team, everyone can agree it will be much less stressful for Tiger fans if they just go ahead and win out Saturday night.
Here’s a look at five Clemson football players we’re counting on to help win the ACC Championship.
5. Tyler Davis
Tyler Davis wasn’t able to play against Notre Dame in the first matchup, but he’ll be ready to go this time around.
When you look at Notre Dame’s offense, you can see that’s it predicated on getting the run game going and letting Kyren Williams get going in the rushing attack.
Davis is going to be manning the middle- alongside Bryan Bresee, Nyles Pinckney and Jordan Williams– and he will be counted upon to make a bigger impact by getting pressure up the middle that wasn’t existent for much of the game the last time we saw these two teams play.
4. The entire offensive line
This might be a little bit of a ‘copout,’ but if Clemson wants to win this one, they need a solid performance from the offensive line.
The Tigers had a tough time getting a push against Notre Dame in the last matchup and that led to one of the worst rushing performances of the season. That can’t be the case this time.
The offensive line needs to give Lawrence time to find the open man and they need to get a push to open up holes for Etienne in the running game.
3. Travis Etienne
Speaking of Travis Etienne, the Tigers need No. 9 to be involved in the offensive attack.
It’s not just about getting Etienne going in the rushing game, which they’ll hopefully be able to do much better than last time. But it’s also about getting Etienne involved in the passing game- like they did last time.
Etienne is just too big of an offensive weapon to not be targeted and get plenty of touches over the course of the evening.
Look for the Tigers to rely on him in short yardage situations and for him to be a threat not just running the ball, but also catching the ball out of the backfield.
2. James Skalski
Not having James Skalski in the first game really hurt that Tiger defense.
When Skalski is on the field, this defense just looks different. There’s more confidence. The linebackers are in better position. The rushing lanes are smaller.
If Clemson is going to slow down that rushing attack and contain Ian Book, it’s all going to start with Skalski’s presence on the field.
Look for the middle linebacker to make a big-time impact in this one and for the Tigers to look a lot better against that Notre Dame offensive attack with him at the helm this time.
1. Trevor Lawrence
This game is going to be won or lost on the shoulders of Trevor Lawrence.
Brent Venables and the defense, in my opinion, are going to be just fine. It’s not to say that they won’t give up some points, but they’re going to make more stops than last time and it’s going to be up to the offense to refrain from turning the ball over and win the game.
That means we need to see Lawrence play the best game of his season.
Even though D.J. Uiagalelei torched that Notre Dame secondary the last time the Tigers played, the Irish defensive backfield is better than most might think. They’ve got some talent and athleticism and it’s going to be up to Lawrence to make the right reads and keep this offense humming.
If he does that, well see Clemson football hoist a sixth-straight ACC Championship Trophy. If not, it could be a long night for the Tigers.