Tag: ACC Schedule

Athlon Sports Predicts 10-wins for Clemson

Another publication gives their prediction for the 2023 Clemson Tigers football team, this time Athlon Sports. 

Another publication gives their prediction for the 2023 Clemson Tigers football team, this time Athlon Sports.

Athlon Sports predicts the Tigers to finish 10-2 this season, which is reasonable.

They didn’t say which two teams the Tigers would lose to, but they did have Florida State being the Tiger’s most significant challenge and ahead of Clemson. The Noles were also given a 10-2 record. Many people believe the Noles will lose on opening day against LSU, giving the Tigers a potential early lead in the Atlantic division.

Following Clemson are North Carolina, Miami, and Duke to round out the top five, all of which are predicted to have an 8-4 record. The bottom of the barrel includes Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Virginia.

It can be difficult to pinpoint two losses on the Tigers’ schedule. Aside from their game against Florida State, the only other potential challenge appears to be when they play against Notre Dame at Death Valley in November. We will have a better understanding of how good this team really is by that time.

No Notre Dame/Navy for first time since 1926

There will be no Notre Dame/Navy game this fall for the first time in almost a century. The uniqueness of all of it will be missed in 2020.

It may be one of the most lopsided rivalries in all of sports and it may not feel like your traditional rivalry filled with dislike, disrespect and hate, but Notre Dame and Navy have played football every fall against each other since 1927.

That unfortunately won’t be the case this fall, however.

With the nationwide pandemic due to COVID-19 and the conferences of college football scurrying to put together a plan for the year, Notre Dame joined the ACC for the 2020 season.

Part of the ACC guidelines were that member schools could play just one out-of-conference game and that one game had to be played in the ACC member schools home state.

As a result, Notre Dame and Navy, which was set to be played in Annapolis, Maryland this September, is now off.

It’s the first time since 1926 that these two won’t meet on the football field.

I know the Navy game is one that Notre Dame seemingly has nothing to gain from:

  • An offense that is equal parts unique and physical that is nothing like Notre Dame plays against the entire rest of the season.
  • A national perception that a win means nothing, even if its in blowout fashion over a ranked opponent, like was the case when Notre Dame beat No. 23 Navy 52-20 in 2019.
  • Lose and jokes will be made about it literally over a decade later.

Yeah there are negatives that come with it.  It’s also tradition and something that unless you’re knocking on the door of the century mark in years, you haven’t seen before.

That’s not to say some traditions aren’t worth re-examining, see the end of the Notre Dame series with Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue in the last decade.

Notre Dame and Navy might not be the most thrilling of rivalries and it may not get your blood boiling like when USC or Michigan are in town, but it’s a tradition that has been going on seemingly forever and I’m sad to see everything from the different feel on campus that game day to the playing of the Alma maters after the game vanish for this fall.

Here’s to hoping things get back to normal  with these two in 2021.

Notre Dame/Virginia: Betting Information

Notre Dame has won four straight games and has covered in their last five contests

As of mid Tuesday afternoon, Notre Dame is an understandable underdog tonight at Virginia.  The Cavaliers will enter the matchup as a 4.5 point favorite as the total is set at just 117.5.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USATODAY Sports Betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated February 9 at 12:10 p.m. ET.

Notre Dame enters plays 15-8 overall, 6-6 in the ACC and 3-4 on the road. Virginia starts the evening 15-7 with a 7-5 ACC clip and 10-3 home mark.

For what it’s worth, Notre Dame has won four straight games and has covered in their last five contests.  The underdog has also 4-1 against the spread over the last five meetings between Notre Dame and Virginia.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

-Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Notre Dame Beats Georgia Tech, Ends ACC Slump

What were you doing at the end of February 2018?

Think back to the end of February 2018 real quick.  What were you doing?

Personally I was only a couple months into being a first-time home owner and adjusting to life as that and (finally) having a dog to call my own for the first time in my life (shoutout to Ned).

The end of February 2018 was the last time Notre Dame won two straight ACC contests, by beating Wake Forest and Pittsburgh.  At last we can now say that unfortunate streak is done.

Notre Dame’s offense was again lights out Saturday, being key in an 80-72 win over Georgia Tech.  Graduate senior Rex Pfluger tied his season-high 13 points with a couple of those field goals being huge down the stretch.

John Mooney did what John Mooney tends to do, putting up a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds while Temple Gibbs had a huge offensive showing, putting up 19 points himself.

Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner left impressed with the Fighting Irish offense after seeing it up-close for a second time this season:

“A really, really good offense” Pastner said after the game, “maybe the best offensive team in this league”.

If I only saw this team play twice and they scored 158 in those two games I would probably think similarly.

Dane Goodwin added 14 points for that Notre Dame offense while also being lock-down defensively.

Notre Dame improved to 13-8 overall and 4-6 in ACC with the victory.  The Irish return to the court Wednesday to host Pitt who a win over would mean Notre Dame’s first three game ACC winning streak since the first week of 2018.  Pitt will bring an identical 4-6 conference mark to Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday.

Clemson Will Play at Notre Dame After Bye Week

Some Notre Dame fans may be upset about the fact Clemson gets an extra week to prepare and get healthy for Notre Dame.

The ACC announced its schedule for the 2020 football season on Wednesday morning and Notre Dame fans probably aren’t going to be too happy.

That is because the marquee opponent of 2020, the defending national runner up and the team that figures to be a runaway number one entering the season will be coming off their bye week when they play at Notre Dame in November 7.

That’s right, the Clemson Tigers will play Syracuse on October 24, have a bye week on Halloween weekend and then come to Notre Dame on November 7.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame will play host to Duke on Halloween before welcoming Clemson to Notre Dame Stadium for only the second time ever a week later.

Are you surprised?

I’m not but I’m not upset about it, either.

You may recall that Notre Dame played seven teams coming off a bye week last year and went 7-0 in such games. Meanwhile the Irish went 1-1 after the bye in 2019 including the debacle at Michigan to end October.

To me that’s life as an independent. When you say you embrace getting everyone else’s best shots that doesn’t just for middle of the road squads who play their best game of the year against you.

It goes for the elite programs like Clemson as well.

Don’t make excuses, make plays.

Get me to November already!