No. 2 Clemson took care of business in its last road test, besting No. 20 Boston College 27-7 in Chestnut Hill behind an impressive effort from the Tigers' defense. Now the team returns home for two primetime kickoffs in Death Valley, the first of which being a visit from Duke in the team's ACC finale.
A fourth-straight ACC Atlantic Division title is already clinched thanks the win against the Eagles, but the stakes of the game extend well beyond the confines of the conference as Clemson clings to its spot in the College Football Playoff picture. The table is set for the Tigers, all they have to do is win out and they're right back where they want to be in the mix for a national championship.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 17 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium -- Clemson, South Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN
Storylines
Clemson: With a win, Clemson's senior class will set a new ACC record with 51 wins in a four-year span. That group, led by offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, has already played in the College Football Playoff three times, won three ACC championships and a national championship. And there's not a single college football fan in the country who doesn't think another ACC crown and CFP appearance is in the future for this Tigers program in 2018.
Dabo Swinney's current run is going to go down as the best in program history and one of the best ever in the history of the sport. Consider that this year's senior class is set to break the ACC record that was set by last year's Clemson seniors, and that three more wins (Duke, South Carolina, ACC Championship) would bring this much-heralded group even with the winningest senior class in college football history, the 2017 senior class at Alabama.
Duke: At 7-3, it's very difficult to consider anything about Duke's season a disappointment. But for diehard Blue Devil fans there will be a feeling of "what if" at the end of the year. Duke beat Army and Northwestern at the beginning of the season and if not for back-to-back losses against Pitt (by 8) and UVa (by 14) would be right in the middle of the ACC championship race, perhaps playing in this game as the first of two meetings with Clemson at the end of the year.
The fact that Duke will be making its sixth bowl appearance in seven years after 17 consecutive bowl-less seasons should not be forgotten, but the program's past is not the measuring stick for success anymore. Competing for ACC division and conference titles is now the expectation, and what better way to put that to the test than to facing the standard-bearer of the league in November.
Game prediction, picks
Clemson's defense is playing at such a high level right now it's hard to imagine Duke having much success running the ball or putting together long scoring drives. As long as Trevor Lawrence and the offense limit their mistakes, this should be a slow, plodding path to covertown with a final score around 35-3 or 42-10. Pick: Clemson -27.5
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