No. 8 North Carolina in the College Football Playoff? There’s still a chance. The Tar Heels have charged up the rankings over the past month or so on the strength of some impressive performances.
Of course, UNC’s place in the CFP is still heavily dependent on its ability to take down the best team in the nation, No. 1 Clemson. The Tigers have swept away all before them thus far this season, but can they avoid an almighty Clemson-ing to claim the top seed in the playoff?
Read on for our complete preview of this intriguing ACC championship game below. And for more previews of the upcoming conference title games, check out our previews of Florida vs. Alabama and Stanford vs. USC.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Clemson Tigers Preview
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
When: Saturday, December 5, 8:00 PM ET
Line: North Carolina Tar Heels (+5) at Clemson Tigers (-5); total 67.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ABC/ESPN
Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 ACC)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Make that 11-straight wins for North Carolina since losing its season opener against South Carolina. The Tar Heels are currently No. 14 in the CFP rankings, but should move a few spots after they beat North Carolina State, 45-34, and the likes of Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Florida all lost.
A place in the final four isn’t completely out of the picture, but before UNC can entertain any hopes of the playoff, it first has to beat Clemson in what is essentially a home game for the Tar Heels with the title game to be played in Charlotte.
North Carolina’s defense is nothing special. Although defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has improved the unit from the train wreck that it was last season, it’s ranked No. 63 out of 128 teams in terms of S&P+, and could struggle to contain Clemson’s balanced offense.
However, the Tar Heels offense has been pretty special this year and should present its own set of problems. UNC is ranked No. 11 in the nation with 41.3 points per game, which was buoyed by its 125-point outburst over two weeks against Duke and Miami a few weeks ago.
Quarterback Marquise Williams doesn’t get as much national press as he probably should as one of the best quarterbacks around. The senior is the second-most efficient passer in the conference this season, and is just as effective as a runner. He’s No. 8 in rushing yards and has 10 rushing touchdowns, both edging out his opposite number, Heisman contender Deshaun Watson.
Running back Elijah Hood has also been the more productive back than Clemson’s Wayne Gallman. Hood is averaging 106.7 rushing yards per game, and is second in the conference with 16 touchdowns.
UNC’s defense likely won’t get many stops against Clemson, but with the Tar Heels’ offensive firepower, they have the ability to trade blows and possibly outlast Clemson in a shootout.
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Betting on the Clemson Tigers (12-0, 8-0 ACC)
Clemson is oh-so-close to that coveted playoff berth. The still-unbeaten Tigers have been taking care of business in terms of wins straight up, although not against the spread. Clemson has failed to cover in its last four games, and is just 5-7 ATS on the season. Nevertheless, Clemson has won its last eight games by five points or more, and has all the tools to win by much more against UNC.
They say defense wins championships, and Clemson’s got a very good one. It ranks No. 16 in the nation in points allowed per game (18.8), but is up in No. 6 in the S&P+ rankings. It didn’t play particularly well in their 37-32 win over South Carolina, but it’s definitely got the talent to turn it on with the title on the line.
The Clemson defense is arguably the best unit UNC will face this year, and could very well be the one that finally slows the Tar Heels’ explosive offense down.
The Clemson offense is pretty good, too. It has arguably the best quarterback in the country in Watson, who had another terrific game-winning performance against South Carolina. He went 20-of-27 for 279 yards and added 114 on the ground with four total touchdowns.
Watson and sophomore running back Wayne Gallman (1,145 rushing yards, nine TDs) should find a lot of success against the Tar Heels’ terrible run defense. UNC is giving up 208 yards per game on the ground this year, which is 106th out of 128 teams in the FBS.
Clemson is 7-2 SU (5-4 ATS) in its last nine meetings with North Carolina.
Writer’s Prediction
Watson outduels Williams, while the Clemson defense makes enough timely stops as the Tigers (-5) claim the ACC title with a 38-31 win.
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