ACC title game still in the picture for Tigers |
Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said repeatedly last week the Tigers just need to concentrate on the next play and not worry about the ACC Championship. However, that doesn’t stop us from taking a quick peek on what needs to what for the Tigers to make it to Tampa.
First let’s take a glance at the current Atlantic division standings. The off week was kind to the Tigers as Maryland, Boston College, NC State and Florida State all lost.
ACC Overall
The Tigers, technically, do not control their own destiny as Maryland holds the tiebreaker over Clemson, but the chances of Maryland winning the rest of their ACC contests seems remote at this point. So realistically, if the Tigers win the rest of their ACC games they will be in Tampa because they will hold tiebreakers over both Wake Forest and Boston College. However, nothing points to the fact the Tigers will be able to play that consistently down the stretch.
There are two trends that are developing so far this season. First, the top three Coastal division teams (GT, VT, and Miami) will beat anyone in the Atlantic division. They are a combined 4-0 against Atlantic teams so far this season. The other trend is an Atlantic division team plays much better at home than on the road. Currently when an Atlantic team plays another Atlantic division rival the home team is a perfect 6-0 on the season.
If we carry these trends out the rest of the season the predicted winner of the Atlantic division would be Clemson. The Tigers would finish in a three way tie with Wake Forest and Boston College. The first tiebreaker for a three way tie is group record, and the Tigers would be 2-0 against BC and Wake. Wake would be 1-1 and BC would be 0-2.
Remaining schedule for Clemson: WF, @Miami, FSU, @NCSU, Uva
Predicted Finish: 3-2 (Losses to Miami and NCSU)
Conference Record: 4-4
Remaining schedule for WF: @Clemson, Miami, @GT, FSU, @Duke
Predicted Finish: 2-3 (Losses to Clemson, GT, Miami)
Conference Record: 4-4
Remaining schedule for BC: NCSU, @Uva, UNC, @Maryland
Predicted Finish: 2-2 (Losses to Uva and Maryland)
Conference Record: 4-4
Remaining schedule for Maryland – Uva, @ Duke, @ NSCU, VT, @FSU, BC
Predicted Finish: 2-4 (Losses to NCSU, VT, FSU, Duke)
Conference Record: 3-5
Remaining schedule for NCSU - @BC, @FSU, Maryland, Clemson, @VT, UNC
Predicted Finish: 3-3 (Losses to BC, FSU, VT)
Conference Record: 3-5
Remaining schedule for FSU - @UNC, NCSU, @Clemson, @WF, Maryland
Predicted Finish: 2-3 (Losses to Clemson, WF, UNC)
Conference Record: 2-6
When you look at how this plays out, the most important game for the Tigers is the next one versus Wake Forest. If the Tigers lose to the Demon Deacs at home and thus the tiebreaker to them as well as Maryland, things will look a lot bleaker in Tiger Town and the road to Tampa will get a lot tougher.
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