ACC Championship Game 2017: Early Preview, Predictions for Clemson vs. Miami
All the debate surrounding the pair of ACC teams at the top of the College Football Playoff standings will be settled Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the ACC Championship Game.
The Clemson Tigers and Miami Hurricanes have been on a collision course for what feels like months, and during the buildup, the teams have flip-flopped in the rankings.
Clemson will enter with the better spot in the playoff rankings because of Miami's defeat at Pittsburgh in Week 13.
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But Mark Richt's Hurricanes' loss won't mean anything if they leave North Carolina with a victory and a conference championship.
Clemson has rolled to five straight victories since its shocking defeat at Syracuse October 13. The Tigers have since added to one of the best resumes in the country with two more wins over ranked opponents.
The argument can be made in the right situation that Clemson deserves a spot in the final four no matter what since it's knocked off Top 25 opponents in Auburn, Louisville, Virginia Tech, NC State and South Carolina. ESPN's David Hale outlined the resume further:
Clemson's offense may not have a superstar like other programs in the country, but the Tigers have had no problem putting up points in 2017. In all but one of their games this season, the Tigers have scored at least 20 points. The lone exception was the 14-6 win over Auburn in Week 2.
The Tigers don't have a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver on their roster, but they do have three players over 600 rushing yards and nine different players have caught a touchdown pass, led by Deon Cain's five catches for a score.
Clemson's defense has also thrived, as it has conceded a single-digit point total on four occasions, but it will have its hands full against a Miami offense that has scored more than 20 points in each of its wins. However, the Hurricanes are coming off their lowest-scoring game of the year.
Speaking of the Hurricanes offense, we were thrown for a loop when quarterback Malik Rosier was benched in the fourth quarter down 10 points on the road in Week 13. Despite the benching, Richt was quick to let everyone know Rosier is still his starter:
Rosier has every reason to be Miami's top quarterback, as he's thrown for 2,994 yards and and 27 touchdowns during Miami's run through the ACC Coastal.
Before falling to Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes dominated their meetings with ranked foes Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. In the games prior to those wins, Miami won four straight one-possession contests, which at the least proves it can win close games.
If you are looking to get some type of idea of what the ACC Championship Game may look like, Clemson and Miami had four common opponents. Both teams knocked off Virginia Tech by double digits and handled Florida State and Georgia Tech.
Clemson's combined margin of victory against Virginia Tech, Florida State and Georgia Tech was 45, while Miami's was 23. The fourth common opponent was Syracuse, who upset Clemson at the Carrier Dome and then lost to Miami the next weekend in south Florida.
The Tigers have the better resume and the big-game experience after winning the CFP National Championship a year ago, but the Hurricanes are hungry to prove themselves after their Week 13 defeat.
Prediction: Clemson 35, Miami 24
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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