No. 3: NC State at Clemson
The Wolfpack is a high-ceiling, low-floor team in 2024. They had some talent on the roster (most notably WR Kevin Concepcion and DL Davin Vann) and they added some familiar names through the transfer portal, such as QB Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina and WR Noah Rogers from Ohio State.
If the new components complement the returning roster, NC State could be very good. When people are ranking the teams in the ACC, the Wolfpack are a popular pick to join Clemson and Florida State as contenders for the ACC Championship.
The Tigers will host NC State in Week 3 after they play Georgia and host Appalachian State. Clemson classically calls the last third (four games) of the regular season as ‘championship mode’. If the Tigers want to qualify for the College Football playoff in 2024, they will need championship mode in September.
Georgia is a massive test and a big rival. Appalachian State is a sneaky good opponent that could embarrass the Tigers if they aren’t focused. NC State is the first contest of the season that will impact Clemson’s quest to win the ACC Championship and secure a College Football Playoff berth.
Not to mention the Wolfpack have won 2 of the last 3 against the Tigers.
The first three games of the season will be a crescendo of importance.
Next: South Carolina at Clemson