No. 3 Clemson returned from an open date with a resounding win against Florida State in its first action since the narrow 21-20 upset scare at North Carolina. Up next is a road trip to face Louisville, a team that its defeated in all six of its all-time meetings. The Tigers dropped in the AP Top 25 from No. 1 to No. 2 after the close win against the Tar Heels, then this past week fell from No. 2 to No. 3 despite the lopsided win against the Seminoles.
Louisville enters the game coming off its biggest win of the year, outlasting a then-ranked Wake Forest in a 62-59 shootout in Winston-Salem. The Cardinals appear to be ahead of schedule in Year 1 under new coach Scott Satterfield, but do they have enough to pull off a massive upset of Clemson? Or will it be the Tigers continuing to roll through their opponents? Let's take a closer look at this game with some storylines and expert picks.
Storylines
Clemson: The Tigers have been downgraded in the national championship contenders debate, with critics pointing at a down year in the ACC as reason to doubt their playoff case. Clemson won five games against Power Five opponents by an average of 23.8 points per game, most recently routing Florida State 45-14. Clemson can't control its schedule, but it has a chance to make a statement with the national spotlight in the noon window on Saturday.
Dabo Swinney knows the most important thing is to continue to win, by any margin, because if you are 13-0 and the ACC Champion, then it's nearly impossible to be left out the College Football Playoff. There might be more nitpicking ahead if the Tigers stumble along the way, so attention to detail and focus have become the key challenges for Clemson as it continues its pursuit of a fifth straight playoff appearance.
Louisville: At the midseason point, no team in the ACC has done more to exceed preseason expectations than Louisville. Some wondered if the Cardinals would be able to win a single ACC game and they were projected to finish last in the division. Instead, Louisville is currently in second place in the ACC Atlantic behind only Clemson with a 2-1 record, including a quality road win against then-ranked Wake Forest.
Louisville's goal in this game is the continued development of an offense that's being led by Micale Cunningham but proved to be equally as potent with true freshman Evan Conley in the lineup after Cunningham got shaken up against Wake Forest. Scott Satterfield is starting to develop a reputation as one of the great offensive head coaches, taking pieces of the system that won three straight Sun Belt titles at Appalachian State and installing it at Louisville. If the offense can rip off a couple of explosive plays and find the end zone a few times against Clemson, it will be more evidence of the good things Satterfield and his staff have going here in Year 1.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Cardinal Stadium -- Louisville, Kentucky
TV: ABC | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Game prediction, picks
Just like the Notre Dame game, I think Louisville will get off to a fast start that includes a few scores before Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables puts in some adjustments and the game settles down. The Tigers are in a difficult position of having to maintain an elite level of focus as heavy favorites the rest of the season, so on the road at noon looks like a good spot for a little bit a letdown. Pick: Louisville (+23.5)
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| LVILLE +23.5 |  |  | | | | | |
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