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No.3 Clemson will play his final 2020 regular season game at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium on Saturday. If the Tigers win, they will clinch a spot in the ACC Championship game for a sixth consecutive season and win a rematch against No.2 Notre Dame on December 19.
The postponement of Clemson’s game at Florida State, canceled hours before kickoff at noon ET, and the controversy that followed the decision had left questions regarding the team’s Dec. 12 opening date. Would the Florida State game be played then? Will Clemson decide to schedule another ACC opponent instead to complete a 10-game ACC schedule? What if Miami, which lost to Clemson, has a better winning percentage at 9-1 than Clemson at 8-1 and therefore is invited to the ACC Championship game against the Tigers?
The ACC stepped in to calm the waters of uncertainty with a simple statement: The three teams vying for the ACC Championship game will be judged on a nine-game sample instead of a 10-game sample. Notre Dame clinched a spot, Clemson can with a win at Blacksburg and Miami needs a loss to the Tigers as well as wins against Duke (December 5) and North Carolina (December 12) to play for the title. conference.
It’s simple for the Tigers: win and get the rematch with the Irish in Charlotte. Lose and things get a lot trickier. Will the Tigers take care of business against an enemy they’ve won five times in a row or will the Hokies play the spoiler and end the reign of the ACC champions? Let’s take a closer look at the scenarios to follow before making expert choices.
Storylines
Clemson: The absence of star quarterback Trevor Lawrence following the loss at Notre Dame, but there were other staff issues that arguably had as much of an impact on the end result – especially considering the considers DJ Uiagalelei’s stellar play in double overtime. loss. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis and center linebacker James Skalski were back in the lineup against Pitt and their impacts were felt early and often. This is not the first year that Clemson has faced persistent injuries on the defensive side of the ball to gain health and achieve his fullest and most dominant form in the championship season. It’s basically part of how they treat injuries. The lack of starters allows young players and saves to get a more meaningful gaming experience, and starters aren’t rushed into action again too soon. The end result is a deeper, fresher, and healthier playoff defense ready to outlast the opponent for four intense and physical quarterbacks with a championship on the line.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies had a late start to the season but made such a surprising impression in their first few weeks that the ACC championship contention was factored in. That appears to be a long way from where we are now, as Virginia Tech has lost four of its last five games, including a home loss to Liberty which was about as “punchy” as it was with a blocked returned basket. for a recalled score due to a waiting time before kick-off. They were a team that had an offensive identity with star running back Khalil Herbert slashing through defenses behind a physical offensive line, but they lost their edge on the scrimmage line and struggled to defend the pass against Pitt. Clemson’s arrival comes at a specific time for the team that took punches in 2020, so how the Hokies respond to the challenge will say a lot about the state of the locker room here in December.
Information display
Dated: Saturday December 5 | Time, 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lane Stadium – Blacksburg, Virginia
TV: ABC | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Clemson at Virginia Tech game prediction, pick
There is cruelty to the way the Tigers go about business as you get closer to the college football playoffs and I expect that to continue in Blacksburg. I made the mistake of trying to be too smart and pick against Clemson last week and I won’t make that mistake again. If Virginia Tech can lousy this game, maybe it could cover, but you don’t want to bet on unusual circumstances with a Clemson side finding their best form at the end of the year (again). Picks: Clemson -22
What college football picks can you confidently make in week 14? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread – all from a proven computer model that has grossed over $ 3,500 in profit over the past four seasons and more – and find out.
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