Saturday Spotlight
(2) Clemson Tigers at (17) Boston College Eagles
Clemson: I really had to sit down and think about something when it came to them because as much as we discuss Alabama and how good they’ve been, are we beginning to sell the Clemson Tigers short? The numbers don’t lie if you want to be technical because they’re 9-0, they’re still ranked second in the nation and in the college football playoff rankings and look at their last two games. Against Florida State, they put up 59 points and held the Seminoles to just ten points and last Saturday against the Louisville Cardinals, they demolished them and put up 77 points. I’m not taking them lightly at all because they’re as complete of a football team as many know they are and this is a team that I wouldn’t want to cross paths within the playoffs when that time comes around. As of late, the running game has been stagnant and hasn’t been able to produce and contribute to the success of the offense but it hasn’t seemed to really affect them because Trevor Lawrence has put the team on his shoulders and carried them. Okay, I’ve discussed the offense more than enough now so let’s move on and talk about the other side of the ball and the defense has been REMARKABLE and numbers truly don’t lie. Already good, the defense has given up just 36 points in the last four games and the defensive line is pretty much a brick that teams can’t run through. It’s a good time to be a Clemson Tiger. They’ll be in Massachusetts tonight for an ACC showdown.
BC: What a season they’ve had this year and I don’t think many expected them to be in the hunt by this point of the season, but here they are and they’re ranked 17th in the country at the moment. When I watch them, I immediately get the feel of an old-school team because they love to run the football and control the clock and they have a nice running back that allows them to be successful in that area of the game and his name is AJ Dillon. When you watch the film on him, you immediately notice that he’s a physical running back and it takes the entire village to bring him down because he has the lower-body strength to stay on his feet and the power to lower his shoulder and just run through people. This team can score and the stats show they can as they average close to 38 points per game. Coach Steve Addazio has built up a really nice culture with this football program and during his tenure, the team has a record two games over .500 at 37-35. Their defense is also solid and they have playmakers to limit you, rush the passer and the front seven plays well as an entire unit which is always nice to see. They’re great when it comes to forcing turnovers and talented enough to keep the team in games. This will be a true test for them tonight with the second-best team in college football coming to town.
Clemson Player To Watch: Hunter Renfrow– He’s the veteran of this offense, a senior who knows a thing or two about playing under the lights. Remember, he’s the hero of the title game in Tampa Bay when Clemson won it all. He’s such a reliable target and when you need those hard-fought yards from a receiver, he’s your guy.
Boston College Player To Watch: Anthony Brown– This is your time to shine young man. Let’s just be real here, you’re not going to be able to run the football on this Clemson defense, it just won’t happen so it’s key for Anthony to be on his A-game tonight.
Final Analysis: Boston College is in second place right now looking up to Clemson in the ACC Atlantic. What a win it would be for the Eagles to upset this contender. Let’s look at the Boston College resume for a second. Yes, they’re playing as well as anyone outside of Clemson in the ACC, but the quality wins are questionable at best because the U hasn’t been the team they were expected to be and Virginia Tech is eh. I see this game being a lot closer than many are expecting it to be early on, but in the end, Clemson will prevail and their strength will be way too much for BC to handle when it’s all said and done.
Prediction: Clemson 45 Boston College 28
