College Football 2021: 3 teams that will be on upset alert in Week 7

3. Clemson (at Syracuse)

Imagine telling someone back in August that this game would be mentioned as a possible upset. Now add in that both teams have the same number of wins.

You want to know how seriously Clemson is taking the game? Dabo Swinney’s quote about the Orange says everything you know: “They’re not much different than us. They’re two plays away from being 5-1.”

Syracuse’s losses have been close: 10 points to Rutgers, three to Florida State, and three in overtime to a top 20 Wake Forest team.

It’s not so much that Clemson has been a disappointment this season, it’s that they might be the biggest disappointment in the entire country. The offense, in particular, has been awful with only 324 yards per game. That offense averages just 16 yards per game that Syracuse allows on defense.

Both defenses will be very reliable, meaning this should be a low-scoring game. Clemson is coming off a much-needed bye week that should help address some issues. Clemson knows that Syracuse is a running threat and that’s going to have a part in whether or not the Orange can pull the upset. But an even bigger key is the arm of Garrett Shrader.

Clemson likely prepared for the run Syracuse will have success. But the difference between a close game and an outright upset could be if Clemson overprepared against the run and if Syracuse can exploit a secondary that at times can give up some big plays.

Schrader doesn’t have to be a superstar, but if he can throw for 200 yards and a couple of touchdowns, that’ll take a ton of pressure off the run game while keeping the Clemson defense honest.

Syracuse is no stranger to upsetting the Tigers: the Orange beat Clemson on a Friday night at the Carrier Dome 27-24.