The Biggest Game Left
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has always preached the phrase, "The biggest game is the next one." Which is absolutely true.
For the last six years, every game has had not only ACC Championship implications, but national championship implications. That is not true this season.
Not the fact that the next game is not the biggest one, but the implications of the games left have changed. This season, the Tigers' chances of not just winning the ACC Championship, but even making it to Charlotte–something that has been a given the last six years—are not in their control. The Tigers will NOT be playing in the playoff this season, meaning no national title.
Yet, even with those things holding true, there are still things left to be accomplished. The Tigers can still finish the season with 10+ wins for the 11th straight season.
If the Tigers expect to accomplish that feat in the regular season, they cannot lose another game this season. This brings us to the biggest game left on the schedule...the Pittsburgh Panthers.
The Panthers are the odds-on favorite to not only represent the Coastal Division, but they have also overtaken the Tigers as the favorite to win the ACC crown with a 43.5%, Clemson is second at 23.1.
In fact, according to ESPN, the Tigers have a less-than 50% chance of leaving their first trip to Pittsburgh with a victory—currently, the Tigers have a 45.5% chance of winning the game.
This game could have been the first of a two-game series between the cross-division foes, much like last season's game with Notre Dame was for the Tigers—until the Tigers dropped a double-overtime game at NC State.
That makes this game the biggest game left for the Tigers...until the next one.
P.S. I fully understand the Tigers play Syracuse before traveling to Pitt. However, if they lose to Syracuse the entire premise is moot and everyone can look forward to basketball.