We all know that one of the Irish’s biggest games of the 2020 season has already been canceled, the trip to Lambeau Field to face the Wisconsin Badgers. With ACC still not making a decision for their non-conference schedule, the contest against Clemson is still on the table.
Although 247Sports started their simulations of their top 20 contests for the upcoming season prior to the Big Ten and PAC-12’s decisions to only play a conference schedule, it’s still is worth a look at how these big games will play out. Plenty of upsets have happened in these simulations from Michigan finally beating Ohio State, Oklahoma State outlasting Texas in 4 overtimes, and USC blasting Alabama.
Honestly, I didn’t expect this outcome to happen, as the 247Sports simulation had the Irish beating the Tigers in resounding fashion. The final score was 44-25, in favor of the good guys, and a bit of a shocker if you ask me. I don’t feel like the Irish are over-matched, but the last time the Tigers lost a game by that margin in a non-playoff game was in 2014 when it happened twice, against Georgia Tech and Georgia.
A more realistic outcome would be the Irish edging Clemson in a tight game, getting some home field magic to knock off one of the best programs in the country. That isn’t how the simulation saw it, so let’s enjoy this big time W against Clemson as we await the real results in about four months.