Clemson football looking to secure playoff berth in Notre Dame rematch

Notre Dame and Clemson football will square off once again this season, but this time, the ACC title and a playoff berth is on the line.

They have already played once this season in what some would say was the game of the year in college football, but when Clemson and Notre Dame face off again in Charlotte on Saturday, the ACC Championship and a playoff bid will be on the line.

Clemson will also be welcoming back the best player in the country in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and some defensive starters as well and they are hoping that that will make the difference in the game on Saturday.

The first game was a thriller that saw Notre Dame earn their biggest win in years when they defeated the then No. 1 ranked Tigers. Notre Dame won thanks to great play from their offensive line and running game, with star running back Kyren Williams running for 140 yards and three touchdowns in the win and quarterback Ian Book adding in 67 yards on the ground as well.

The first game was a huge growing up moment for Ian Book in the biggest game of his career. Most college football fans and analysts have doubted Book’s ability to lead a team to victory against a big time opponent, but he earned the respect of everyone in the country when he led the Fighting Irish on a long touchdown drive at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Book made some big throws down the field and answered the call when his team needed him and he will need to do so again on Saturday.

The main storyline for the Clemson Tigers is the return of Trevor Lawrence to this game, along with some defensive starters as well. Most think that Lawrence coming back means that Clemson will roll in this game, but don’t sell Notre Dame short. They have an elite defense and their running game is as good as it gets in the country and they ran all over Clemson’s defense last time out.

Expect another good game on Saturday between two teams with national championship aspirations.

Here is how you can watch Notre Dame versus Clemson on Saturday.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 17
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium
Location: Charlotte, NC
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For the Notre Dame offense, the downfield passing game is going to be key against the Clemson defense. This has been where Notre Dame’s offense has struggled this season and I expect Clemson to stack the box to take away Notre Dame’s run game, so Book is going to have to make plays if the Fighting Irish are going to win this game again.

For the Notre Dame defense, taking away the running game will once again be essential. It is almost impossible to slow down Trevor Lawrence, so if Notre Dame can match their production in stopping Travis Etienne as they did in the first game, they will have a chance to to slow down the Tigers’ offense.

For the Clemson offense, they have to run the football better than they did in the first matchup. Travis Etienne was held to just 28 yards on 18 carries and had a key fumble as well that really turned momentum in Notre Dame’s favor.

For the Clemson defense, they have to stop the run in order to slow down Notre Dame’s offense. Notre Dame had a lot of success on the ground in the last game and that was due to the offensive line. Notre Dame struggles throwing the ball down field and being explosive and the Tigers need to make them one dimensional.

Betting Odds

Odds provided courtesy of The Action Network

Spread: Clemson -10.5
Over/Under: 60.5

Prediction

I’m a believer that it is really hard to beat good teams twice in one season. This matchup is going to be especially hard for Notre Dame with Lawrence coming back and while he might not win the Heisman Trophy, I firmly believe that he’s the best player in the country and will make a huge difference on Saturday.

Notre Dame is an excellent team and is more than deserving of a playoff spot and it won’t go down quietly in this game.

Expect a close game throughout with Lawrence and Etienne making plays in the fourth quarter to win Clemson’s sixth straight ACC title, sending it back to the College Football Playoff.

Final Score: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 28