USA TODAY Sports experts’ predictions for must-win Clemson-Pitt showdown

Here’s who USA TODAY Sports experts think will win Saturday’s ACC showdown between No. 16 Clemson and Pitt.

After getting back in the win column with a 24-14 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies, Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers will look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive when they head to Pittsburgh to face Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers.

The Tigers (7-2) got three second-half touchdown passes from Cade Klubnik and scored 24 straight points against Virginia Tech after being held scoreless in the first half. Dabo Swinney’s team will hope for a better start against the Pittsburgh defense.

Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein left his team’s 24-19 loss to Virginia last week with an apparent head injury and is reportedly questionable for Saturday’s game against the Tigers.

Clemson moved up one spot to No. 16 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. In the updated College Football Playoff Rankings released Tuesday, Clemson rose three spots to No. 20.

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Pitt (7-2) is coming off back-to-back losses to ACC leader SMU in Week 10 and to Tony Elliott’s Virginia Cavaliers last Saturday.

On Thursday, the six-member panel of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith all predicted the Tigers to win Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh in the group’s weekly Top 25 college football predictions.

Kickoff for Saturday’s Clemson-Pitt game is set for noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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