Clemson Tigers vs. Stanford Cardinal on College Football Expert’s Week 5 Playlist

The matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Stanford Cardinal in Week 5 is one to keep an eye on.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Cole Turner (22) celebrates with head coach Dabo Swinney after scoring a touchdown against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Through their first three games of the 2024 college football season, we have already seen each end of the extremes for the Clemson Tigers.

In Week 1, we saw how ugly things can get when they aren’t playing well. With the offensive sputtering, the defense eventually succumbed to the Georgia Bulldogs in a brutal 34-3 loss that had people questioning the future of head coach Dabo Swinney.

The following week, we saw the extreme in the opposite direction.

The Tigers destroyed the Appalachian State Mountaineers, one of the top G5 programs in the country, 66-20. Quarterback Cade Klubnik had a historic performance in the game with seven total touchdowns; five through the air and two on the ground.

That is exactly how a team wants to head into a bye week as Clemson had a ton of positive momentum. They built even more when returning to the field in Week 4 in their ACC opener against the NC State Wolfpack.

Another incredible performance was put together by the offense. Klubnik scored another four times while running back Phil Mafah added 107 yards and three touchdowns on the ground with just seven carries.

The result was another convincing win, 59-35.

Now, the Tigers head into a matchup with one of the conference’s new schools, the Stanford Cardinal. This game is intriguing enough that it made the Week 5 playlist of ESPN’s Bill Connelly as one game to pay attention to.

“Last Friday night, Stanford pulled an entertaining upset of Syracuse 2,800 miles away from home. Eight days later, the Cardinal will play 2,600 miles away in Death Valley East. They're a unique out with mobile quarterback Ashton Daniels, receiver Elic Ayomanor and extremely willing fourth-down tendencies. But if the past two games are any indication, Clemson is not in the market for an upset loss at the moment. The Tigers have been devastating since their Week 1 defeat to Georgia,” Connelly wrote.

Stanford’s introduction to the ACC was a good one, defeating Syracuse 26-24 in the JMA Wireless Dome. This travel isn’t for the weary, so it will be interesting to see what they have left in the tank.

Will that offensive production continue for Clemson, who enters the game as a massive favorite? Or will the Stanford offense produce enough to keep the Tigers' defense on the field and wear them down?

It is an interesting clash of playing styles. The Cardinal are looking to cement their status as an upper-echelon team in the conference, while Clemson looks to reassert their standing as the big dog at the top.