Weekend Watch: What You Can Learn About Clemson's Opponents

One of the perks of Clemson opening its season on Labor Day is the ability to absorb all of the rest of college football, so here's a look at what the Tigers' opponents are doing in Week 1.

© South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the perks of Clemson opening its season on Labor Day is the ability to absorb all of the rest of college football in the opening week. 

More than a dozen contests were played Thursday night. There will be more than 60 games involving FBS teams before the Tigers kick off on Monday at 8 p.m. against Georgia Tech at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

That's a lot of channel flipping and quick evaluations of teams from all across the country, especially the teams that face the Tigers this year. 

Furman, which comes to Death Valley next week, opened with a 52-0 win over North Greenville on Thursday. Week 3-opponent Louisiana Tech already began its season with a 52-24 loss at Missouri. Wake Forest, who hosts Clemson on Sept. 24, beat VMI 44-10.  

To help you streamline your viewing pleasure for the rest of this Week 1, here's a breakdown of what to watch for with Clemson opponents in this weekend:

NC State at East Carolina, Saturday at noon (ESPN)

It's unclear why ACC teams feel the need to play road games at Group of Five venues, but the Wolfpack, who come to Clemson on Oct. 1, are headed to a rowdy Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on the campus of East Carolina. The Pirates would love to hand Dave Doeren and his hyped Atlantic Division contender an in-state loss to start the season. That won't be easy for the 11.5-point underdogs as NC State is loaded on defense and led by ACC Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary at quarterback. You'll likely learn more, though, about the Wolfpack than if they were playing at home. 

Rutgers at Boston College, Saturday at noon (ACC Network)

The Eagles are looking to fly high this year with a healthy Phil Jurkovic back at quarterback, along with All-ACC WR Zay Flowers and running back Pat Garwo II. But this is a tricky start to the season. Rutgers made a bowl last year because of great academics, not a great record, and they likely won't put BC in a tough spot Saturday. But watch how the Eagles' offense flows and see if it gets on track early. Clemson doesn't visit Chesnut Hill until early October, but BC wants to set a tone. The defense might not have much trouble against Rutgers' scoring attack so don't put too much stock in that unit just yet, unless the Scarlet Knights move the ball with ease. 

Bethune-Cookman at Miami, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)

This is a soft opener for the Mario Cristobal era in South Beach. The Hurricanes will get into the end zone at will with QB Tyler Van Dyke running the show, and the defense won't give up too many scoring opportunities. Other than getting a feel for what OC Josh Gattis and DC Kevin Steele are running, there won't be much to take away from this one. It'll go swimmingly and the hype around this program will continue at least until it visits Texas A&M on Sept. 17. 

Notre Dame at Ohio State, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

On the surface, it's hard to believe the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish is a 17.5-point underdog, but then you remember that the Buckeyes are returning quarterback C.J. Stroud and a ton of high-powered offensive weapons. In the first season under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame just wants to survive this trip to the Horseshoe. If they end up competing and making it a game, that should give Clemson even more concern about the Nov. 5 showdown in South Bend. The Irish have a star in edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, but they're breaking in new QB Tyler Buchner. Pay attention to how their offensive line handles what will be an aggressive Ohio State front. That'll be a huge key when the Tigers take on the Irish.

Georgia State at South Carolina, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)

There is one big reason for Clemson fans to pay attention to this one: Spencer Rattler. The former Oklahoma quarterback transferred to Shane Beamer's program in the offseason, and he's the most talented signal-caller the Gamecocks have had in a decade. There's a lot of hype around both he and Beamer in his second season, and what this duo can do for South Carolina, which hasn't beaten Clemson in the annual rivalry since 2013. It'll be worth seeing how much better Rattler makes them. Georgia State is a little bit of a tricky opener. The Panthers have been competitive with former Gamecock assistant Shawn Elliott as the head coach, but the Gamecocks are a 12.5-point favorite at home. 

Louisville at Syracuse, Saturday at 8 p.m. (ACC Network)

You can knock out two birds with one stone. Well, one bird and one really large orange thingy. These two teams kick off the season with a key Atlantic Division game. Neither wants to end up at the bottom of the standings when it's all said and done, so there will be a strong urgency in this one. Louisville has a strong advantage at quarterback with Malik Cunningham, but the Orange have the best running back in the ACC in Sean Tucker. Watching him run is worth your time. How Louisville defends him will be interesting. If the Cardinals get shredded by the run, it'll be good film for Clemson, which boasts a strong rushing attack behind Will Shipley. As for Syracuse, keep an eye on QB Garrett Shrader, who needs to become a better passer for Dino Babers' squad to make noise in the league. 

Florida State vs. LSU in New Orleans, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

The only game of the day, all eyes will be on the Big Easy for this ACC vs. SEC showdown. The Seminoles already got a warm-up with an easy Week Zero win over Duquesne, but this opponent is much better. LSU kicks off the Brian Kelly era with a ton of new faces via the transfer portal and a former Arizona State quarterback while FSU is hoping this is the year it gets back relevancy...or at least makes the postseason. Let's see if the Seminoles are for real. Going into a neutral environment that will still be LSU-dominant and playing well might change some perceptions of this program. They'll need to have more of a passing game in this one as LSU probably won't give up 300 yards rushing. Keep an eye on QB Jordan Travis and if the Seminoles saved some of their offensive scheme for the SEC Tigers. 

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!