No. 13 South Carolina (9-2, 6-2 SEC) at No. 12 Clemson (10-1, 7-1 ACC)
Kickoff: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Spread: Clemson by 4.
Watchability: It’s a rivalry game between teams just outside the top 10 looking to position themselves for bowl selection. The only thing more watchable than this game might be the coaches’ pregame and postgame press conferences.
Shining stars: South Carolina -- DE Jadeveon Clowney could be the best defensive player in the nation. He has 8.5 sacks and is a finalist for every significant award for which he’s eligible. Clowney missed last week’s game against Wofford and is questionable with an injured foot. Clemson -- QB Tajh Boyd probably ended any suspense over the ACC player of the year with a school-record 529 yards of total offense against NC State last week.
Who could steal the show: South Carolina -- Return man Ace Sanders needs 30 yards to break South Carolina’s 41-year-old single-season record for punt return yards. He has 333. Clemson -- RB Andre Ellington needs 41 yards to reach 1,000 for the second-straight season. That would make this year’s Tigers just the fourth Clemson team with a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver.
You going? Ranking the road trip: It’s senior day, Clemson’s rivalry game and both teams have a lot at stake. Memorial Stadium will be full and loud.
Magic number for South Carolina: 3. The Gamecocks have won the last three games against Clemson, their first three-game winning streak against the Tigers since 1968-70. South Carolina has only won four in a row once, from 1951-54.
Magic number for Clemson: 14. Clemson has won seven games in a row, all by at least 14 points. The streak is the fifth-longest active one in the nation, and it’s a school record for most consecutive 14-point wins.
The game comes down to: Matchups. Clemson’s best players are on offense, and South Carolina’s stars are on defense.
Prediction: South Carolina 27, Clemson 21
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.
