College football games Clemson fans should watch while on the bye week

Bye weeks are an important part of the game of Football. It allows for teams to rest injured players, reassess personnel choices, and make changes if necessary. It also gives the team on the bye week more time to prepare for its next game. But for fans, bye weeks are lame.

Fans are left to twiddle their thumbs, waiting for their beloved teams to play again in two weeks. However, this week's slate of games contains a few matchups to which Tiger fans should pay attention. Here are all the games this week that have implications for the College Football Playoff or the ACC championship.

Games Clemson fans should watch during the bye

Boston College vs Louisville (ACC championship)

Louisville has been fighting for its ACC hopes all season long, but its schedule is one of the toughest in the conference. They've lost to Notre Dame, SMU, and Miami. The latter two teams are frontrunners in the ACC, along with Clemson. The Cardinals' chances of making the ACC Championship are on life support as it is. If it can't hang onto a hit-and-miss Boston College team, it'll knock Louisville completely out of the conversation.

SMU vs Duke (ACC championship, CFP)

The Mustangs stumbled out of the gates with a close game and a loss to BYU. Luckily for SMU, BYU is one of the few undefeated teams in the nation and ranked No. 11. Since the loss, SMU is without blemish, scoring at least 34 points in the last four contests. With SMU, Clemson, and Miami not playing each other, the first to lose a conference game could be the one that misses out on the championship game.

FSU vs Miami (ACC, CFP)

Miami is in the same boat as SMU, but they're playing a rivalry game. Florida State has been awful this season, but its defense isn't horrible. Also, the Hurricanes have struggled against teams like Virginia Tech and California, so the Seminoles might shock the nation, and Tiger fans would love to watch it happen live.

Boise State vs UNLV (CFP, MW championship)

Before the 12-team CFP, this wouldn't even be a game worth mentioning. However, one Group of Five school is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Boise State has the best chance to earn a slot in the CFP, but right behind them is UNLV. Tomorrow is likely a preview of the Mountain West championship game, and the winner could be the first G5 team in the College Football Playoffs.

Norte Dame vs Navy (CFP, History in the making)

Like SMU, Notre Dame struggled at the beginning of the season, losing to Northern Illinois of all teams. However, the Fighting Irish have a punishing defense that's only giving up 12 points a game. They're on their way back into the CFP projections, but they might have a problem with Navy — Yes, that Navy.

The Midshipmen are averaging 44.8 points a game. It's against lesser opponents, of course, but imagine if the Navy somehow pulls off the upset. Nothing is stopping them from making the CFP. Well, maybe except Army.

Illinois vs Oregon (CFP, Big Ten championship)

A couple of weeks ago, Oregon had a statement win in its inaugural season in the Big Ten, knocking off Ohio State. Right now, they sit atop the college football landscape at No. 1 in the AP Poll, but a feisty Illinois team is looking to knock off the Ducks.

The Illini were put in their place by Penn State a few weeks ago, but otherwise, they've been perfect. Now, Bret Bielema has a chance to bounce back into the conversation for the CFP.

LSU vs Texas A&M (CFP, SEC championship)

No one thought the SEC would be this chaotic, but out of the ashes of what's left of the conference, rise two teams left without a conference loss. Well, that ends tomorrow. The winner of Texas A&M and LSU will walk away on top of the SEC with four games left. Most likely, one or both will be in the SEC Championship and very likely, the CFP.