Clemson Football 2022 Schedule Breakdown: Vol. 4

OCT. 15 • AT FLORIDA STATE • DOAK CAMPBELL STADIUM, TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

Clemson will carry a six-game series winning streak dating to 2015 into Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium on Oct. 15. With a win, Clemson would join the 1968-76 Florida Gators (eight straight) as the only programs ever to win seven straight against the Seminoles. Clemson would also become the first ACC school to win three straight games in Tallahassee, as the Tigers collected a 37-34 road win in 2016 and a 59-10 road win in 2018, with both seasons culminating with national championship victories.

Maybe, this year’s game in Tallahassee will actually take place, I know, old joke. Seriously, Mike Norvell’s Seminoles are poised to take the next step in the rebuild he started three years ago. To this point, it’s been a tough time. The Seminoles have found offensive stability in QB Jordan Travis. The redshirt Junior showed lots of progress last year and it’s seem to have continued in the spring.

It’s here that I’m happy to beat the same drum over and over, the greatness of Clemson’s defense. It might be an interesting game into the second half but the Tigers are too talented and too deep on defense and add in a great stable of running backs, this won’t end well for the Seminoles.

Some others, smarter than this writer, have this as a potential trap game for Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. I concede it’s a possibility but where on the schedule this game sits, the Tigers should be nearing mid season form. I believe Clemson wins by double digits in Tallahassee.

OCT. 22 • VS. SYRACUSE • MEMORIAL STADIUM, CLEMSON, S.C.

A Clemson win on Oct. 22 would push the Tigers’ winning streak in its series with Syracuse to five games, which would extend the current streak past its four-game streak from 2013-16 as the longest in series history. Since dropping the program’s first meeting in the Gator Bowl following the 1995 season, Clemson is 8-1 in the nine most recent meetings and holds an 8-2 all-time record in the series. Clemson has been ranked in at least one major poll in all 10 games against Syracuse and has been ranked in the AP Top 3 in seven of those contests.

Syracuse football struggled and I understand that but I also see many key impact players returning along with some interesting off-season new hires. Add in an All-American running back returning in Sean Tucker, possible NFL prospects Mikel Jones, Duce Chestnut and Garrett Williams as well as an experienced offensive line and another season under a very effective defense. Syracuse could be better.

They always seem to play Clemson hard, even winning once in recent years. All coming in that human hothouse they call home, the Carrier Dome. That won’t be a factor for this matchup is in Death Valley, the venue that is louder than the Carrier Dome is hot.

Dino Babers is on a hot seat so he and his team will play as if they’ve got nothing to lose. Except in this case, they do have something to lose, this matchup. The Tigers will soundly defeat the Orange. Of this, I’m sure.

Thank you for reading today, please check out tomorrow’s installment in the series.