Clemson vs Syracuse Preview: Can Clemson Respond After Tough Loss to FSU?

It’s not even October yet.

But the Clemson Tigers have two losses against ACC opponents. Gone are the days when the Clemson Tigers dominated the conference.

But that doesn’t mean Clemson can’t win the ACC. Despite the first two losses in conference play, they’re still alive in the ACC.

They’ll take on the Syracuse Orange, who are typically a difficult opponent for Clemson. Syracuse has begun the season 4-0 but has no ACC wins yet.

The Orange have been one of the most balanced teams in the country. Will they continue to be as dominant against a hungry Clemson squad?

Here’s the Clemson vs Syracuse preview for Saturday’s matchup on ABC.

Syracuse Success Has Helped Grow The Program

The Syracuse Orange are 4-0 to begin the season. The team is starting to develop players into NFL talent and continues to win the games that they’re supposed to.

With the success comes a new facility.

The Orange officially began the process of a new football operations center.

It was described as a “state-of-the-art academic and athletics village” that will be used for 20 different Syracuse Orange sports teams.

The new operations center will have new coaches’ offices, a larger cafe, and a nutrition space for the student-athletes to reach their goals.

It’ll also have a new locker room, meeting rooms and other amenities.
Donors have contributed a lot of money to this so Syracuse can continue to be more competitive in the ACC for years. Once this complex is finished, don’t be surprised when Syracuse wins out new recruits over other elite programs.

Another Year With Clemson Out of the Playoff

Clemson will still compete for an ACC title. If things go the Tigers’ way, and they don’t lose another game, they could still play in the ACC Championship game.

But even an ACC Championship game likely won’t get Clemson into the College Football Playoff. A lot would have to happen for Clemson to earn that opportunity.

Clemson looked poised to earn a win against a top-ranked Florida State team at home. But a missed field goal and poor decisions down the stretch kept Clemson off the scoreboard late. That allowed the Seminoles to enter overtime and win it in the first overtime of the game.

After many experts and analysts counted them out last season, the Tigers won the ACC last year. Clemson isn’t what it used to be when Trevor Lawrence was around.

They’ve got an uphill battle and can’t afford another loss in the ACC this season. If you look at the last seven games, Clemson has only won three of their previous seven games.

Dabo Swinney suggested that the first game of the season, against Duke, was the strangest game Dabo Swinney has coached.

After the loss to Florida State, Swinney added that that game was the toughest game he’s ever been a part of.

Whatever excuses are left, Dabo Swinney and Clemson are already out of the College Football Race four weeks into the season. That’s not a good feeling.

Below, we’ll discuss the Clemson vs Syracuse preview and odds for Saturday’s ACC game.

Clemson vs Syracuse Preview

Despite Syracuse’s undefeated record, the Clemson Tigers are -7 favorites on the road against the Orange. Meanwhile, the total is at 52 for this game.

Clemson has started the season 1-3 against the spread. The only game that Clemson covered was against Florida Atlantic, in a game where FAU’s most crucial player, QB Casey Thompson, got hurt.

Meanwhile, the total has gone over and under twice to start the NCAAF season.

On the other hand, Syracuse pushed against the Army last weekend. But the Orange have gone 3-0-1 against the spread to begin the year. Syracuse was a favorite in all four games but even covered a -2 against Purdue with a 35-20 win on September 16.

Thanks to a dominant defense, they’ve hit the Under in three of the first four games.

Still, this will be Syracuse’s first real test to start the season as seven-point underdogs. However, the Orange have covered against Clemson in five of their last six games head-to-head. However, the spread has never been as close as seven. The tightest spread was 13.5, which was back in 2021. Syracuse lost that game by three, 17-14.

Syracuse Excels Against Clemson!

The Orange have only defeated Clemson once in the last ten games. But they’ve covered in seven of those ten games.

This year, Syracuse’s talent is closer than ever to Clemson’s. The Orange have played much better offensively this season, averaging 507.8 yards per game. The Orange have added nearly 295 yards passing and another 213.3 yards rushing.

Garrett Shrader burst onto the scene last year. He’s been just as good this year. Shrader has added 972 yards passing with six touchdowns and three interceptions. However, he’s also led the Orange in rushing yards, with 316 and six more touchdowns on the ground.

Shrader, in total, has scored 12 touchdowns in four games.

However, Clemson’s defense has held teams to 79 yards against the run. While Clemson is 2-2, and the NCAAF news is down on the Tigers, the defense is still very elite. They’ve given up only 262.8 yards per game this season.

The college football betting lines still know this because Clemson is still a touchdown favorite against Syracuse on the road.

Syracuse’s run defense has done very well, too. They’ve held teams to 89 yards per game on the ground. That’s ultimately due to how well the Orange have tackled. The secondary for the Orange has also been dynamite, holding teams to 185.3 yards per game in the air.

The Orange aren’t great at rushing the passer, but the secondary has been lock-down, giving the pass rush more time to get to the passer.

Cade Klubnick has thrown nine touchdowns and two interceptions for the Tigers. He’s been very good with the ball in his hand and doesn’t force throws. When a quarterback limits turnovers, the defense can put up zeros.

Before Florida State’s game, Clemson allowed only 31 points combined between Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic. The defense has reflected well on the NCAAF scoreboard.

Therefore, we’ll ride the Under 52 in this ACC matchup.

For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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