Clemson Football: The Ins and Outs, Highs and Lows of the 2012 Schedule

Clemson was one of the most exciting teams in all of college football last season, and it looks to build on that success, as they return seven starters on both sides of the ball.

One of the things that is going to have them winning a lot of games this season is their explosive offense. This is a team that averaged nearly 34 points per game last year, and they return nearly every key member to likely produce similar numbers. The defense certainly needs to improve,  though, especially with the schedule they're facing this year.

If the Tigers expect to win the ACC and have a chance at a national championship, they'll have to overcome a few road blocks.

As we get closer to kicking off the regular season, here's your 2012 Clemson Tigers complete schedule breakdown.

Easiest Game

The easiest game for the Tigers this season is the one against the Furman Paladins.

Now, this is a team that gave Florida a run for their money, but last year, who didn't? This game should be over by halftime.

Toughest Game

We'll get to this game a little bit later, but the South Carolina Gamecocks are the most complete team on the Tigers' schedule. This is a team that's returning seven starters on offense and getting a healthy Marcus Lattimore back. They also return six starters on the defensive side of the ball from a defense that was ranked third in the country.

This is a very balanced team, and Clemson hasn't beaten the Gamecocks in the last three meetings.

Potential Blowout

Clemson has one of the top offenses in the country, and Ball State has a defense that ranked 103rd in the country last season. It doesn't matter if the Cardinals return eight starters on offense; if they can't stop the Tigers from scoring, this is a game that will get ugly quickly.

Potential for Disaster

Clemson will enter the season likely ranked somewhere in the top 15, with an outside chance of reaching the BCS national championship.

Although, the first game of the season isn't an easy one, as they travel to the Georgia Dome to take on the Auburn Tigers.

Gene Chizik's club returns 18 starters, including 10 on defense, and will likely have an athletic quarterback in Kiehl Frazier leading the team. Auburn may still be a year or so from seriously competing in the SEC again, but that doesn't mean they're short on playmakers or aren't capable of knocking off Clemson in this matchup.

If Clemson hopes to accomplish big things this year, they can't start the season off with a loss.

Most Intriguing Matchup

Clemson won last year's matchup by a score of 35-30, but Florida State didn't have their starting quarterback in E.J. Manuel. Regardless, this should be a very interesting matchup because it's going to be a battle between a great offense and a great defense.

Florida State's defense, which was ranked fourth in the country a year ago, is returning nine starters. We know what Clemson did on offense and what they should be able to do this season. Something has to give when this matchup takes place.

This game will take place in Tallahassee, a place the Tigers have only won once in their last 10 visits.

Trap Game

I'm not sure what to make of this Wake Forest team. They won five of their first seven games of the season, but then lost five of their last six. They're a team that only returns three starters on offense but does have seven starters returning on defense.

This should be a game that Clemson should win fairly easily, but it takes place in Winston-Salem. It's also a game that's right after the tough matchup against Virginia Tech. The Demon Deacons are a team that only lost to the Tigers by three points last season, and they could pull off an upset if the Tigers don't take this game seriously.

Rivalry Game Prediction

Clemson has lost four of the last five meetings against the Gamecocks, including three in a row. I truly don't believe the Tiger team we saw last season against South Carolina was the same team we saw for most of the year. I expect to see a much more complete Clemson team at the end of the season, but until we do, I have to go with the Gamecocks in this game.

Sure, Clemson is a great offensive scoring machine, but how is their defense going to hold up against an underrated Gamecocks offense that has their fair share of playmakers as well? I'm also not confident that thing offense will be able to do whatever they'd like against that Gamecocks defense. In last year's matchup, they were held to just 153 total yards, and the offensive line allowed five sacks.

Things may change from now till then (we're still months from the season even beginning), but as of right now, the Gamecocks are my pick.

South Carolina wins: 28-17

Upset Special

Not sure if this is an upset or not, but Georgia Tech has the players to beat this Clemson team again. In fact, the Yellow Jackets are a team that has won seven of the last nine games against the Tigers.

Georgia Tech returns seven starters on defense and nine starters on offense, including quarterback Tevin Washington.

In the 31-17 loss to the Yellow Jackets last season, Washington rushed for a season-high 176 yards, as they gave the Tigers a beatdown.

This time, the game will be played in Memorial Stadium, but if that Clemson defense can't contain Washington, it may be a long day for the Tigers and their championship hopes.

Heisman Highlight Game

The Tigers have several Heisman candidates on their team, including wide receiver Sammy Watkins, running back Andre Ellington and quarterback Tajh Boyd.

The game in which any of them needs to stand out in order to make a Heisman run is the matchup against the Florida State Seminoles. It's a game on the road, against one of the top defensive units in the country, and it'll likely be a prime-time game against two possible top-10 teams. BCS implications will be on the line, and if somebody can have a big game, it will help their case moving forward.

Must-Win Game

Virginia Tech doesn't return much on the offensive side of the ball, but they do have nine starters from a defense that was ranked second in the ACC. I'm not so much worried about the games toward the end of the season for the Tigers, but if this is a program that wants to take that next step, they have to beat some of the better teams in college football and play with some consistency.

A victory over Frank Beamer's club would be a big step in the right direction and would move Clemson up a few notches in the polls, bringing it that much closer to accomplishing its goals.