Clemson – Page 13 – Syndication Server

Preview 2020: College Football News All-ACC Team

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the ACC season with the College Football News All-ACC Team & Top 30 players

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the ACC season with the College Football News All-ACC Team & Top 30 players.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

CFN in 60 Video: Clemson Tigers Preview
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2020 Preseason CFN ACC Offensive Player of the Year

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jr. Clemson
He was the No. 1, superstar, can’t-miss, this-is-the-franchise-guy-who-might-possibly-be-better-than-Deshuan-Watson recruit for the program in 2018, and in his time all he’s been able to do is lead the team to two ACC championships, two national title appearances, one national championship, and with a fairly decent 29-1 record in the 30 games he has been a part of.

And now, he’s embracing the role of college football legend, Face of the Franchise, and all-around leader to a grander scale both on and off the field. Thanks to the silly rules that make a player wait for three years after high school to be eligible for the NFL Draft, he’s still around for at least one more year.

Enjoy.

2020 Preseason CFN ACC Defensive Player of the Year

DE Gregory Rousseau, Soph. Miami
It’s putting way too much unfair pressure on anyone to potentially be another Chase Young, but when it comes to next level pass rushers and college stars who can get into the backfield – and the ACC has a whole lot of them this year – you’re not crazy putting Rousseau into the conversation for a top three overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Banged up as a freshman, he busted out last season with 54 tackles, with 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss – by the way, Young finished with 46 sacks with 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss – as one of the nation’s top and steadiest producers. And now he has Temple transfer Quincy Roche on the other side to take the heat off.

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College Football News 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team: Offense

QB – Trevor Lawrence, Jr. Clemson

RB – Travis Etienne, Sr. Clemson

RB – Javian Hawkins, Soph. Louisville

WR – Tutu Atwell, Jr. Louisville

WR – Sage Surratt, Jr. Wake Forest

TE – Tutu Atwell, Jr. Miami

OT – Jackson Carman, Jr. Clemson

OG – Bryce Hargrove, Sr. Pitt

C – Jimmy Morrissey, Sr. Pitt

OG – Lecitus Smith, Jr.

OT – Ben Petrula, Sr. Boston College

College Football News 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team: Defense

DE – Carlos Basham, Sr. Wake Forest

DT – Jaylen Twyman, Jr. Pitt

DT – Marvin Wilson, Sr. Florida State

DE – Gregory Rousseau, Soph. Miami

LB – Rayshard Ashby, Sr. Virginia Tech

LB – Max Richardson, Sr. Boston College

LB – Chazz Surratt, Sr. North Carolina

CB – Caleb Farley, Jr. Virginia Tech

S – Andre Cisco, Sr. Syracuse

S – Hamsah Nasirildeen, Sr. Florida State

CB – Derion Kendrick, Jr. Clemson

[lawrence-related id=506353]

College Football News 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team: Special Teams

PK – Nick Sciba, Jr. Wake Forest

P – Trenton Gill, Jr. NC State

KR – Damond Philyaw-Johnson, Jr.

PR – Amari Rodgers, Sr.

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College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson Tigers season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson Tigers season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Clemson Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 14-1 overall, 8-0 in ACC
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 13th year: 130-31
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 2
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 3
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 2

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers Offense 3 Things To Know

– The offense isn’t going to stop just because former co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott left for the USF head coaching gig. Tony Elliott has been in the OC mix for the Tigers since 2015, and now the job is all his.

Breathtaking, the offense was a juggernaut again as the team barely missed matching the record-setting 664-point run in 2018 with 659 last year, scoring more than 50 points seven times before the CFP with a run of 45 or more in seven of the final eight regular season games.

And here we go again, mostly because of the two future NFL franchise stars in the backfield.

Trevor Lawrence continues to put together an all-timer of a college career, hitting 66% of his passes for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns with eight picks, and adding 563 rushing yards – hitting Ohio State for 107 yards – with nine touchdowns.

Lawrence is obviously a special talent, but so is the next elite superstar DJ Uiagalelei, a jaw-dropping pro prospect from California who blew off Oregon and the rest of the Pac-12 to take over whenever Mr. Lawrence is done. However, with Chase Brice transferring to Duke, and with a year in the system, 2019 great recruit Taisun Phommachanh might be the No. 2 guy early on.

CFN in 60 Video: Clemson Tigers Preview
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– Of all years to have left early for the NFL to get paid, this would’ve been it. But Travis Etienne is back after three years of somehow being among the most underappreciated stars in college football.

Trevor Lawrence is the star, Dabo Swinney is the superstar, and the program has taken on a life of its own among the elite of the elite, and all Etienne has done is run for 4,038 yards and 56 touchdowns, catch 54 passes for 567 yards and six scores, and average 7.8 yards per carry. He’s 4.3 fast, tough, ultra-productive, and the type of back who could carry the offense, even though he doesn’t have to.

No. 2 back Lyn-J Dixon is back after running for 635 yards and six scores, and Chez Mellusi and Michael Dukes are back again to work into the mix. As if this group wasn’t deep enough, in comes five-star talent Demarkcus Bowman. Now they all need guys to block for them.

The offensive line has become a bit of a factory at Clemson. It doesn’t crank out a slew of next-level talents, but it has been a dominant force throughout the run in the CFP era. Now it has to replace four starters with only Carman Jackson back, likely at left tackle.

All of the backups from the end of last year return, and they’ll move up in the rotation. The most talented reserve of the bunch might be new-recruit Walker Parks, but he needs time to bulk up.

– The receiving corps took a massive hit with the loss of Tee Higgins to the Cincinnati Bengals, and with Justyn Ross out for the season after needing surgery to fix an issue with his spine. There’s no reason to worry – most college teams can only dream of having a trio of Amari Rodgers, Joseph Ngata, and Frank Ladson to work a passing game around. Four-star recruit EJ Williams would be an instant No. 1 target at most places.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers Defense 3 Things To Know

Pages: 12345

Clemson Star Wide Receiver Justyn Ross Out For The Season

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced that star WR Justyn Ross is out for the season with a spine issue.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced that star WR Justyn Ross is out for the season with a spine issue.

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One of college football’s best wide receiver talents and top pro prospects is out for the year.

On a conference call, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced that wide receiver Justyn Ross will miss the season with a concern over his neck and spine.

Dabo Swinney on WR Justyn Ross. Surgery scheduled for Friday. Ross has what Swinney called a "congenital fusion in his neck/spine. Doctors are very concerned.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) June 1, 2020

Expected to be a first round pick in next year’s draft – after being Clemson’s No. 1 target and most dangerous receiver – Ross will undergo surgery with the hopes that he’ll be ready for the NFL Draft process in 2021. However, it’s a serious condition that puts his career in jeopardy.

Dabo Swinney just said Justyn Ross will not play this season. Said there's no guarantee he can play football again. Has a congenital fusion that he was born with. It showed up in an X-ray this spring. Will have surgery this Friday.

— Anna Hickey (@AnnaH247) June 1, 2020

Leading yardage receiver Tee Higgins left for the NFL, and Ross led the team with 66 catches for 865 yards and eight scores after exploding onto the scene as a freshman with 46 catches for 1,000 yards and nine scores.

Already great in the 2018 national championship season, he took his game up another level with 12 catches for 301 yards and three scores – averaging 25 yards per catch – in the two College Football Playoff games.

JUSTYN ROSS IS A GROWN MAN pic.twitter.com/658c9uspno

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2019

Last season, Ross only had one 100-yard game, but he was still steady, explosive, and showed off the talent and skills to potentially be a top target at the next level.

The Tigers still have a backfield of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, and Amari Rogers – who caught 55 passes for 575 yards and four scores – is back.

TJ Chase transferred to Florida Atlantic, but Joseph Ngata was a top recruit last year and caught 16 passes, Frank Ladson is another 6-3 target who’ll get more work, and in all, there’s enough talent in place to keep the offense going.

More importantly, surgery for Ross is on Friday with the hopeful expectation of a full recovery and a chance for his career to continue.

Dabo Swinney on star WR Justyn Ross being out for the year: "He can hopefully by January, he's doing great. He's got a decision to make." Does he play at Clemson another year or take a shot at the combine. Dabo compares circumstances to Mike Williams at Clemson.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 1, 2020

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Clemson vs Louisville Fearless Prediction, Game Preview, Preseason Version

Clemson vs Louisville early preseason fearless prediction and game preview.

Clemson vs Louisville early preseason fearless prediction and game preview.

CFN Podcast
Louisville preview in 60 seconds

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How crazy is it to try predicting a college football game months in advance when 1) there wasn’t any spring ball, 2) there aren’t any real depth charts to go off of, 3) no one has ANY clue how to get sports going again, and 4) we don’t even know what the 2020 season is going to be?

Just crazy enough to potentially get some fantastic values on the early lines.

You can bet now at BetMGM on a whole lot of college football games – including going really insane looking at lines in November – with the possibility of hitting something big.

We’ll be diving in a whole lot deeper when we do this for real just before the season – crossing fingers that there is one. But for now …

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Clemson vs Louisville Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 12
Game Time: COMING
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Network: COMING

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Clemson vs Louisville Game Preview: Preseason Version

Why Louisville Will Win

There’s not going to be any sort pressure on the Cardinal side – likely No. 1 Clemson is supposed to win this in a walk. The high-powered UofL team should be able to turn it loose. The offense has the pieces to keep up just about any sort of a pace.

The line gets everyone back from the end of the season – Mekhi Becton didn’t play in the bowl game – to block for QB Micale Cunningham and a loaded group of skill parts.

Of course Clemson has the talent to reload in any spot in a big hurry, but it’ll only have one game to get the offensive line in place after losing four starters. The pass rush wasn’t there for Louisville last season, but the back eight is going to be a major plus right away, at least in terms of experience.

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Why Clemson Will Win

The Louisville defense wasn’t anything special last season, and now it has to do some work on a defensive front that wasn’t exactly bursting with size before.

Yeah, the Clemson offensive line might need a wee bit to get everything in sync, but the situation is hardly a major concern. It should be able to handle itself just fine against the Cardinal front seven.

The other side of the line is the bigger deal.

Everyone might be back on the Cardinal O line – at least from the bowl game – but it still coming off a season when it was dead last in the nation in allowing tackles for loss. Turn the Clemson defensive front loose from the start, and let it wreck the gameplan.

What’s Going To Happen

It’s sort of crazy that these two programs have only faced six times.

Remember, Louisville used to be in the Big East and American Athletic Conference before joining the ACC in 2014. It’s not like the two schools are that close – they’re over 400 miles apart – in what’s been an interesting new battle.

The Cardinals and Lamar Jackson had the Tigers in big, big trouble in a wild 2016 shootout, and each of the first three battles between the two schools were decided by six points or fewer. And then …

Clemson won 47-21 in 2017, followed it up by a 77-16 nail-biter that actually could’ve been even worse, and then stomped away for a 45-10 last year.

Louisville has never beaten Clemson, and it’s not going to happen this year, either.

Both teams will have an ACC game under its belt – Clemson starts out at Georgia Tech and Louisville begins with NC State – so it’s not like they’ll come in stone cold.

The Cardinal offense will be stronger and sharper than it’s been over the last few years in the series, but at home, the Clemson machine will take over in the first half and will keep up scoring early in the second.

However, just how much will the Tigers keep pushing so early in the season? They’ll win easily, but covering will be a question in the final few minutes.

Clemson vs Louisville Prediction, Line: Preseason Version

Clemson 41, Louisville 17
Bet on this game now at BetMGM
Clemson -23.5
Money Line: Clemson -5000, Louisville +1400
ATS Preseason Confidence out of 5: 1.5

Must See Rating: 3

5: The Last Dance: Unedited version with all the swearing
1: The Last Dance: Edited version with all the beeps

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Clemson vs Georgia Tech Fearless Prediction, Game Preview, Preseason Version

Clemson vs Georgia Tech early preseason fearless prediction and game preview.

Clemson vs Georgia Tech early preseason fearless prediction and game preview.

CFN Podcast
Will the NCAA really allow players to profit off their likenesses?

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How crazy is it to try predicting a college football season months in advance when 1) there wasn’t any spring ball, 2) there aren’t any real depth charts to go off of, 3) and we don’t even know what the 2020 season is going to be?

Just crazy enough to potentially get some fantastic values on the early lines.

You can bet now at BetMGM on a whole lot of college football games – including going really insane looking at lines in November – with the possibility of hitting something big.

We’ll be diving in a whole lot deeper when we do this for real just before the season. But for now …

[jwplayer Or3IPyr6]

Clemson vs Georgia Tech Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 3
Game Time: COMING
Venue: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Network: COMING

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Clemson vs Georgia Tech Game Preview: Preseason Version

Why Clemson Will Win

So you know all those Clemson Tigers who got picked over NFL Draft weekend? What, there didn’t seem like there were that many from a national championship-caliber program? That’s because a whole lot of them came back.

Four of the top five tacklers might be gone, but the defensive line returns most of the parts, enough of the top receivers are back, and the backfield tandem of QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne is still hanging around.

Georgia Tech might be returning enough experience to be better, but it still has to figure out how to move the ball. It’s not like the team suddenly figured it out late last season. Stop the run, stop the Yellow Jackets.

Why Georgia Tech Will Win

There’s a whole lot returning.

It might still be a little while longer to make the full transition from the Paul Johnson option attack days to what head man Geoff Collins is trying to do, but at least there’s experience.

A few Power Five-sized offensive linemen are transferring in, 20 of the top 21 tacklers from last year are expected to be back, QB James Graham returns along with most of the top rushers, and the top three pass catchers are there.

But …

What’s Going To Happen

Is all the Georgia Tech experience enough to actually beat the big dog in the season opener? No, but it might be just enough to keep it relatively close …

For a while.

Clemson is pretty good at the whole make-a-statement thing. Including last year’s win over Georgia Tech, it has won its last three openers by a combined score of 156 to 24.

The Tigers pull away big after a competitive first quarter.

Clemson vs Georgia Tech Prediction, Line: Preseason Version

Clemson 48, Georgia Tech 16
Bet on this game now at BetMGM
Clemson -23.5
Money Line: Clemson -5000, Georgia Tech +1400
ATS Preseason Confidence out of 5: 3

Must See Rating: 2.5

5: The Last Dance: unedited version with all the swearing
1: The Last Dance: edited version with all the beeps

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NFL Draft 2020: How Many ACC Players Will Be Drafted In The First Round?

NFL Draft 2020: How many ACC players will end up being drafted in the first round? What are the over/under odds?

NFL Draft 2020: How many ACC players will end up being drafted in the first round? What are the over/under odds?

CFN Podcast: How Many QBs Will Go In 1st Round?
Pete Fiutak and Nick Shepkowski dive deep on whether or not five might be picked on Day One.

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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak
– Bet on this and the rest of the draft at BetMGM

NFL Draft 2020: ACC

The ACC and the NFL Draft haven’t had a great relationship over the last several years when it comes to sending bulk talent to the next level, but it has been fantastic in the first round.

Clemson has done its part, and Florida State has been a decent feeder from time to time, but last year it was Duke’s Daniel Jones who made the most noise at the sixth overall pick. In all, seven ACC players were selected on Day One last year, and just three of them were from Clemson.

Six were selected early in 2018 – highlighted by Lamar Jackson being picked at the 32 by Baltimore – and four went in the first round in 2017.

The league has done okay to showcase itself, but this year should be a bit of an issue.

CFN in 60: 2020 Top Five Overall Prospects
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The line for the total ACC players drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is just 3.5.

The last time the ACC had fewer than four players selected early was 2003, but that was the last year Miami was in the Big East. If you want to count all the current ACC programs, it’s been a long, long time since there weren’t been four players picked in the first.

This year, start with the obvious. Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons will likely go in the top five – top ten, at worst – and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton will be one of the first offensive tackles off the board.

And then it all dries up in a huge hurry.

Can Clemson CB AJ Terrell find his way in? That’s not a given.

Will Tiger WR Tee Higgins make it into the first round? Ehhhhhh, it’s possible, but hardly a sure thing. Terrell has a better shot than Higgins.

So set the bar at three. Outside of Higgins, there isn’t another ACC player who’ll likely be sniffing the top 32. Florida State RB Cam Akers and Virginia CB Bryce Hall are some of the only other ACC players who’ll be in the mix for the second round, much less the first.

So …

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How Many ACC Players Will Be Drafted In the First Round?

It’s going to be a historically weak first round for the ACC.

With Miami not holding up its end of the bargain, and with Florida State a bit down in the NFL talent department, it’s up to Clemson to send its superstars to the next level, but the tsunami is coming in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Do you feel like sticking with the side of history and go with the hope that Higgins is a first rounder? He’s got top 32 talent, and it’s not a crazy call. Best of all, the over is where all the value is. The ACC will definitely get three players drafted in the first round, but …

That’s it. Expect the under on the 3.5.

Prediction: Under
BetMGM line: 3.5, Over +225, Under -286
Bet on this and the rest of the draft at BetMGM

CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)

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NFL Draft 2020: How Many Clemson Players Will Be Drafted In the First Round?

NFL Draft 2020: How many Clemson players will end up being drafted in the first round? What are the over/under odds?

NFL Draft 2020: How many Clemson players will end up being drafted in the first round? What are the over/under odds?

CFN Podcast: How Many QBs Will Go In 1st Round?
Pete Fiutak and Nick Shepkowski dive deep on whether or not five might be picked on Day One.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

NFL Draft 2020: Clemson

As amazing as Clemson has been in the College Football Playoff era, you’d think it would be a bit more consistent at pumping out the elite NFL talents.

By any normal standard, the program has been a phenomenal talent factory with three first rounders last year and four players taken in the top 40. It had five of the top 57 picks in 2016 and eight first round draft picks since 2015. Even so, it hasn’t quite been the high-end NFL Draft killer of an Ohio State or Alabama.

CFN in 60: 2020 Top Five Overall Prospects
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Whatever. You don’t play for national championships every season without being loaded with elite talent. More is on the way to the League of Mercenaries this year.

But all that matters here is how many go in the first round, and the line is set at 2.5.

While that might seem a bit low for a team that just played for the national championship, remember, this is just for Round One – around seven Tigers should end up getting drafted.

LB Isaiah Simmons deserves to go in the top four, but at worst he’s a top ten pick. That’s one. And two …

CB AJ Terrell should go between 18 and 24, but that’s not a mortal lock. Don’t worry about it – he’s a first rounder. That means you need to find one more to get to the over on the 2.5.

Tee Higgins. That’s it. The fabulous wide receiver is your one shot at Clemson getting three players drafted, and he’s likely going to be drafted in the mid-40s.

So …

How Many Clemson Players Will Be Drafted In the First Round?

Two.

When it comes to figuring out first rounders and going with the over, in general you want to have a few options who could possibly slip in late. Strength in numbers is important, and Clemson only has Higgins as the possible option to join Simmons and Terrell in the top 32.

That’s probably not going to happen. There’s no value in it, but …

Prediction: Under
BetMGM line: 2.5, Over +210, Under -286
2020 Clemson Schedule Analysis
Bet on this and the rest of the draft at BetMGM

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5 College Football Playoff Scenarios: 20 for 2020 Offseason Topics No. 1

Five preseason College Football Playoff scenarios: 20 for 2020 key college football offseason topics.

20 for 2020: 20 key college football offseason topics, No. 1: Five preseason College Football Playoff scenarios

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

20 for 2020 Offseason Topics
20. Best Teams To Not Make CFP
19: Teams That Will Rebound Big
18. Teams That Will Fall Back
17: Every Power 5 Team’s Letdown Game
16. Top 5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches
15. 2nd Year Coaches Who’ll Be Better
14. Power 5 Hot Seat Coach Rankings
13. Key Transfers You Forgot About
12. Five Big Power 5 Upset Alerts
11. Great Players About To Go Nuclear
10. Group of 5 Teams In New Year’s Six Chase
9. Power 5 Sleeper Teams
8. Most Interesting Quarterback Battles
7. 5 Teams That Might Disappoint
6. 5 Teams That Might Surprise
5. Group of Five Conference Ranking
4. Power 5 Conference Ranking
3. Top Non-Obvious Heisman Candidates
2. 5 Nutty Predictions That Might Be Right

We’ll keep on doing what we do whether or not there’s a season, but all thoughts go out to those suffering and struggling, and to all the health care workers battling above and beyond the call. Please … stay safe.

If there’s a College Football Playoff, who’s going to be in the thing?

There’s nothing fluky about a College Football Playoff national championship. Maybe you can get there with a relatively light schedule and a few big breaks – Utah and Baylor almost did it last year – but if it was so easy, a whole lot of others would be able to do it.

After six years, we sort of know how this all goes.

1. Go unbeaten and win your Power Five conference championship, and you’re in. It would take a historic anomaly – like all five conference champs going 13-0 – to miss out.

2. Go 12-1 with a Power Five conference championship, and realistically, you’re in. 2018 Ohio State is the first and only one to be left out.

3. Be an 11-1 powerhouse Power Five team that lost one tough battle, and you have a chance. You need help, but you can get there like 2016 Ohio State and 2017 Alabama.

Other than that, be Notre Dame and go 12-0 – and get a little help – and it can be done. The Group of Five programs, though, have yet to crack the code, and there has yet to be a two-loss team in the CFP.

With all that in mind, if we’re able to get a season this year, here are five possible College Football Playoff scenarios.

CFN in 60: 5 Possible College Football Playoff Scenarios
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5. College Football Playoff Scenario: The Chalk

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma

There are two ways to look at this.

Either you have powerhouse fatigue and you’re bored of seeing the same teams over and over again – even LSU didn’t seem all that new, considering it was the SEC Champion – or you’re geeked out that these four programs are killers and should make for a strong tournament.

Could Oklahoma finally get over the hump and get into the national championship? Is it possible for Alabama to win a third one of these after not getting it done the last two seasons?

Will Clemson be able to come through with a third national title in five years, or could Ohio State get back to the CFP national championship in its fourth trip in seven playoffs?

Even if it’s not these four exact teams, if it’s any SEC champion, maybe a big-time Big Ten champ, and even a second SEC team in to go along with Clemson, it would be a whole lot of fun.

We’ll go into the problem if it’s anything other than a four-team powerhouse chalk CFP in a moment, but first …

NEXT: College Football Playoff Scenario: First Time Teams

Pages: 12345

ACC Bowl Projections: 2020-2021 Spring Version

CollegeFootballNews.com ACC bowl projections: 2020 spring version

CollegeFootballNews.com ACC bowl projections: 2020 spring version

2020-2021 ACC Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions

– Future College Football Playoff Sites & Dates
– All of the 2020-2021 bowl tie-ins

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Games listed alphabetically until all the dates are announced

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
SEC vs. ACC (or American Athletic)
Spring Projection: Syracuse vs. Houston
Last Season: UCF 48, Marshall 25

Belk Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
ACC vs. SEC
Spring Projection: Virginia vs. South Carolina
Last Season: Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30

Camping World Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
ACC vs. Big 12
Spring Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Last Season: Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9

Fenway Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
ACC vs. American Athletic
Spring Projection: Boston College vs. UCF
Last Season: First Bowl in 2020

Military Bowl Presented By Northrup Grumman

Date Coming
ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium, Annapolis, MD
ACC vs. American Athletic
Spring Projection: Pitt vs. Cincinnati
Last Season: North Carolina 55, Temple 13

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
ACC vs. Big Ten
Spring Projection: Florida State vs. Nebraska
Last Season: Michigan State 27, Wake Forest 21

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Date Coming
FOX
SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA
ACC vs. Pac-12
Spring Projection: Louisville vs. Washington
Last Season: Iowa 49, UAC 24

SERVPRO First Responders Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
ACC vs. Big 12 (or Group of Five program)
Spring Projection: Duke vs. Kansas State
Last Season: WKU 23, Western Michigan 20

CFN in 60: Spring College Football Playoff Projections
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TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
ACC vs. SEC
Spring Projection: North Carolina vs. Missouri
Last Season: Tennessee 23, Indiana 22

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Thursday, December 30
CBS
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
ACC vs. Pac-12
Spring Projection: NC State vs. UCLA
Last Season: Arizona State 20, Florida State 14

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Friday, January 1
ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
New Year’s Six at-large vs. New Year’s Six at-large
Spring Projection: Florida vs. Notre Dame
Last Season: LSU 63, Oklahoma 28

Capital One Orange Bowl

Saturday, January 2
ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
ACC vs. New Year’s Six at-large
Spring Projection: Miami vs. Boise State
Last Season: Florida 36, Virginia 28

AllState Sugar Bowl

Friday, January 1
8:45 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans, LA
CFP at-large vs. CFP at-large
Spring Projection: Clemson vs. Alabama
Last Season: Georgia 26, Baylor 14

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Five Nutty Predictions That Just Might Be Right: 20 for 2020 Offseason Topics No. 2

20 for 2020: 20 key college football offseason topics: 5 nutty, out there predictions that just might turn out to be right.

20 for 2020: 20 key college football offseason topics, No. 2: 5 nutty, out there predictions that just might turn out to be right.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Welcome once again to the annual three-true-outcome piece.

With these offseason big-swing cuts, I either walk, strike out – usually in painfully embarrassing fashion – or hit a towering home run.

Last year, for example, I struck out big-time with the call that Texas A&M would beat Clemson on the way to being a big thing, and whiffed harder on the idea that Michigan would win the Big Ten championship.

I’ll take the K on the call that Urban Meyer would be the next USC head coach, but it was on a borderline pitch off the edge of the plate. I lined out by saying Oklahoma would get to the CFP and end up playing for the national title, but I cleared the fence by calling that either Clemson or Alabama would miss out on the College Football Playoff.

So you get the idea.

Oh, I’ll miss massively on a few of these, but …

Get ready for 1977 World Series Game 6 Reggie Jackson.

5. There will be college football in 2020, but …

It will depend on how we all get through what’s potentially coming.

If the optics of playing a fun game are too awful five months from now, then it’s an absolute and hard no on a season. However, if the country wants and needs any sort of a morale boost/diversion, and the mood is there for football …

Football will figure something out.

It might not be a full season, but – obviously this is I’m-not-a-doctor-or-specialist speculation – if it’s possible 4-to-6 months from now, the NCAA will 1) procure enough easy tests with quick results to ensure that no infected player or coach goes on the field, and 2) will get creative enough with the timing and scheduling to have college football in some form.

CFN in 60: 5 Nutty College Football Predictions Video
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Knock out two other key elements from the equation.

First, until there’s a vaccine, just forget about the idea of any fans being in the stands until 2021, and even that’s a maybe.

There are too many parts that athletic directors and the NCAA can’t control, and squishing together tens of thousands of people together in a stadium is an easy – but painful – part of the logistics that can be eliminated.

Also, don’t assume for a second that player preparedness has anything to do with this. Whether or not the guys are in shape is on them, the coaches, and the programs.

The NCAA might relax the time restrictions and practice limit rules, but if there’s a way to get players on the field playing college football in front of TV cameras, it’s going to happen.

[lawrence-related id=509983]

Remember, the NBA, NHL, NCAA, and – even with a little more time – MLB were caught totally flat-footed. The NFL and college football powers-that-be have at least four months to come up with a way to do what they do.

It might take draconian measures – like sequestering and quarantining the players once they have negative tests – and/or it might take daily checkups, but if there’s any possible way to have football before the end of the year, it’ll happen.

Now, assuming that is all true in some way …

NEXT: No. 4 Nutty Offseason Prediction

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