5 Clemson Storylines for ACC Championship Week

The postseason begins this week for Clemson, which has to quickly get over the loss to its rival, prepare for a top-notch quarterback and figure out how to boost its own signal-caller's confidence again.

Brad Senkiw | Nov 28, 2022

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The regular season is over. It's on to the postseason.

No. 8 Clemson didn't finish the first 12 games on a bright note as the Tigers were handed a 31-30 loss by in-state rival South Carolina. Dabo Swinney's squad fell to 10-2 overall heading into Saturday's ACC Championship Game against North Carolina.

The Tar Heels also lost their rivalry game with NC State, 30-27 in double overtime, to fall to 9-3.

Kickoff for the conference title at Bank of America Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Here are five storylines to follow this week before a champion is crowned in Charlotte, N.C.:

1. Windshield mentality: Seeing a seven-game winning streak to the Gamecocks and a 40-game home winning streak end in a bitter fashion likely requires some time to get over. But the Tigers don't have that luxury. And maybe that'll be a good thing. Swinney prides his program on being able to turn the page and only look at what's ahead, not behind. That'll be tested after what happened against their rival. The problem is, what plagued them against South Carolina — turnovers, bad field position, inconsistent offense, poor pass coverage — could cost them again this week if there isn't any improvement.

2. Quarterback situation: DJ Uiagaelei is still Clemson's starter. Swinney made that clear Sunday, adding that the Tigers didn't lose to the Gamecocks because of the junior QB. The players around him have to be better, especially the receivers. But that message has been sent several times, and Uiagalelei's numbers were the worst he's produced in a loss in his starting career. Cade Klubnik didn't see any action in the loss to South Carolina, so you have to wonder just where he is in terms of development and trust. Regardless, Clemson has to get Uiagalelei's confidence up and turnovers down if it wants to end the season on a high note. If not, the offseason will be brutal.

3. ACC title: Clemson, which has won six of the last seven conference championship, returns to Charlotte after losing out in the Atlantic Division to Wake Forest. UNC is back for the first time since 2015 when Clemson was just starting its College Football Playoff run. This is also the last year of division play, so both teams take pride in being the final two from that format. But just what will an ACC championship mean? Neither team is expected to make the top 4 of the playoff committee's rankings next week, win or lose. The winner does get a bid to the New Year's Six Orange Bowl while the loser might be headed to the Taxslayer Bowl. It's not been a great year for the league but we'll see how coveted this title will be.

4. Drake Maye: The UNC quarterback has had a stellar season, even though the last couple of games didn't go his way. He's thrown for 3,847 yards and 35 touchdowns with five interceptions in his first season as the starter. Maye is a candidate for ACC Player of the Year, and he's primed to be a household name heading into next year. His Heisman Trophy candidacy has ended, but he's still going to get a ton of praise and attention from Clemson this week. He's a guy Swinney recruited heavily and wanted to see in orange. Now, he'll have to figure out how his defense can limit arguably the best QB the Tigers have seen this year and a plethora of playmakers.

5. Old friends: Swinney and UNC coach Mack Brown go back more than a decade. The two head coaches crossed paths in 2009 when Swinney was just getting started and Brown had the Texas Longhorns rolling. Swinney went to Austin to learn how to build a winning program. They hit it off and have been good friends ever since. They already said a lot of nice things about each other Sunday, but expect that to continue throughout the week. Maybe they'll even share a few stories or what they've learned from each other. They squared off in an epic game at UNC in 2019, so this isn't their first showdown. This one does come on a bigger stage, which these coaches enjoy.

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