Syracuse Football: Clemson football gameday prediction

Neil Adler (contributor) 4-0

The duel of the 2018 season goes down this Saturday at noon, when our beloved Syracuse football squad travels to No. 3 Clemson in a battle of undefeated Atlantic Coast Conference outfits.

Last weekend, the Orange (4-0, 1-0) smoked Connecticut inside the Carrier Dome, while the Tigers (4-0, 1-0) crushed Georgia Tech on the road. This is a humongous affair for SU. Not only is the encounter nationally televised, but it’s also an opportunity for the ‘Cuse to prove to the country that its current record isn’t a fluke. Heck, even if Syracuse loses in a tight game, we could see the Orange ranked in the top-25 polls after this weekend.

As every fanatical ‘Cuse fan knows, we shocked the world a stanza ago, when SU upset No. 2 Clemson in Central New York. So there’s no reason why Syracuse can’t emerge victorious – except that the Tigers badly want revenge, we’re playing in a hostile environment, and Clemson is starting its freshman phenom, Trevor Lawrence, at quarterback. Yikes.

Both crews can light up the scoreboard, and, in my humble opinion, it’s really going to depend on whether the Orange defense can hang with Lawrence and the Tigers offense. Odd-makers out in Las Vegas presently view Clemson as roughly a three-touchdown favorite, while ESPN.com’s match-up predictor gives the Tigers a 92 percent chance of prevailing. ACC bragging rights are on the line, and nothing would please me more than for the ‘Cuse to post consecutive conquests versus Clemson. However, in assessing the situation realistically, I’m picking the Tigers, although I think that the Orange will make a game of it. Clemson wins, 42-28. Prove me wrong, SU!