Game on: Five Clemson football games to watch in 2021

Spring camps are over and fall camps are on the horizon.

In no time, the college football season will be here in full swing. After a year of uncertainty in 2020, the world has somewhat of a better handle on the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Stadiums are ready for fans again, and those fans are anxious to cheer on their favorite teams in person. On Wednesday, Clemson announced Memorial Stadium will be at a full of capacity

81,500 people for this upcoming season. The Tigers have seven home games on their 12-game schedule, giving potential attendees plenty of time to check out the squad.

ESPN gave Clemson’s upcoming schedule an FPI Power Index of 23.5, the third-best in the country behind Alabama (28.0) and Oklahoma (26.6). The Tigers also have the nation’s highest projected win-loss chances (11.5-1.4) and were given a 21% chance of winning out along with a 72.1% chance of being the ACC champ for the sixth year in a row.

Here’s a look at five Clemson games to watch this upcoming season:

1. Georgia

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

TV: ABC

This one goes without saying.

In what’s expected to be a top-10 matchup, Clemson gets started right away by taking on the Bulldogs at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Between having two highly-touted California native quarterbacks in D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson) and J.T. Daniels (Georgia), early college football playoff implications and the Bulldogs’ addition of former Tiger Derion Kendrick, the game isn’t short of storylines.

The Bulldogs also bring in the nation’s fourth-best recruiting class with the Tigers coming in fifth.

History favors Georgia with the Bulldogs leading the series, 42-18-4, including a 45-21 victory over the Tigers in 2014, which was the last time the two squads played. The year before that, Clemson nabbed the 38-35 win and finished the year with an 11-2 record.

FanDuel had Clemson being a three-point favorite in May, while BetOnline.Ag favored the Tigers by 3.5 points on Wednesday.

2. South Carolina

When: Nov. 27, Time TBA

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia

TV: N/A

The Palmetto Bowl wasn’t played last year because the SEC opted for a conference-only schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending a 111-year streak of meetings. First played on Nov. 12, 1896, it was the longest continuous non-conference rivalry in the nation and the longest uninterrupted rivalry in the South. Clemson, which leads the series, 71-42-4, has had the advantage for the past six years and South Carolina was on the winning side for the five years prior.

In 2019, the Tigers won, 38-3, to complete the program’s eighth-ever undefeated regular season. Travis Etienne also broke the ACC’s record for career rushing touchdowns in the game (53) after scoring twice.

While the Tigers’ offense will look different without Etienne and Trevor Lawrence, both of whom were drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in April, the Gamecocks will be new all over under the direction of first-year coach Shane Beamer. It’ll also be Luke Doty’s first season as USC’s full-time starting quarterback as he faces an experienced Tigers defense led by Baylor Spector and James Skalski, known as “The Bruise Brothers.”

3. Boston College

When: Oct. 2, Time TBA

Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson

TV: TBA

Last year when Trevor Lawrence was out after testing positive for COVID-19, Uiagalelei got his first start under center against Boston College and put opposing defenses on notice.

Then a true freshman, he finished with 342 yards and two touchdowns, but the Tigers had to overcome a 28-13 halftime deficit to do it. Having Uiagalelei back will be key for the Homecoming game, not to mention nine defensive starters returning to the field. Bryan Bresee, who had a quarterback sack and forced the intentional grounding penalty for a safety to ice the game, is included in the bunch. The win marked 10 straight victories for Clemson over BC, giving the Tigers the 19-9-2 series advantage.

Now in former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s second year leading Boston College, the Eagles signed one of the program’s best-ever recruiting classes. They also bring Zay Flowers, the squad’s first all-ACC first team wide receiver since 2012, and defensive back Josh DeBerry, who is the team’s top returning tackler.

4. Florida State

When: Oct. 30, Time TBA

Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson

TV: TBA

The Tigers will be hoping for no more surprises in 2021. Last year’s game against the Seminoles was canceled due to a Clemson offensive lineman testing positive for COVID-19 after some of the Tigers’ staff members were already at Doak Stadium in Tallahassee. The year before, Clemson beat Florida State, 45-14, for the Tigers’ fifth consecutive win over the ‘Noles.

Lyn-J Dixon was a sophomore and had 49 yards on 10 carries, while Joseph Ngata made two catches for 35 yards as a freshman in the 2019 contest.

This season, the game will be in Clemson. Florida State returns a youthful bunch after first-year coach Mike Norvell was in charge of the youngest team in college football last year. The Seminoles also brought in seven transfers, most notably quarterback McKenzie Milton, joining from UCF, and former Georgia defensive end Jermaine Johnson.

5. Syracuse

When: 7 p.m. Oct. 15

Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse

TV: ESPN

Of Clemson’s 12 games, five are on the road this year. Two of those five are back-to-back weeks coming off an open date following the contest against Boston College. That starts with Syracuse for a televised night game in New York. The Tigers have fared well in away games, winning 17 straight road contests. Ironically, the last away game they lost was at Syracuse, 27-24, on Oct. 13, 2017. Clemson has won the last three meetings, outscoring the Orange, 115-50, in that time. Last year, the Tigers took a dominant 47-21 win over the Orange in Death Valley.

Having had the previous week off and traveling, the game seems to be in a favorable position for the Tigers. It’ll also be the halfway point of the season, giving head coach Dabo Swinney an opportunity to evaluate his squad.

Still, the Orange can’t be overlooked heading into the contest. Their spring roster is one of the largest in recent memory with many seniors like defensive linemen McKinley Williams and Josh Black opting to return for a sixth season.