alex turri
·4 min read
The ACC is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing conferences in college football for the 2024 season.
While conference realignment has been making headlines, there's plenty of buzz around the tight race for the ACC Championship. The Big Ten and SEC might have stronger lineups with recent moves, but the ACC promises excitement and fierce competition.
There are plenty of questions for the ACC this year. Is Florida State the new powerhouse? Can Clemson reclaim its throne? Will Miami surprise everyone and take the conference title? These storylines set the stage for an awesome season.
With ACC Media Days wrapping up, we wanted to deeply dive into Clemson's 2024 schedule and how difficult each game should be for the Tigers. The format is simple: Clemson's entire schedule is listed below by week. Each game listed has a ranking overall on a scale of 1/10 on difficulty and a ranking on the schedule.
That said, check out Clemson's 2024 schedule and rankings below.
Georgia Bulldogs
Week 1
Date: Aug 31, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 1
Difficulty rank: 10/10
It doesn't get much more difficult than this. The likely No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs at a neutral site in Atlanta, Georgia (quite neutral)… This is going to be a challenge for the Tigers. Like Swinney says, though, it's never easy.
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Week 2, home
Date: Sep 7, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 8
Difficulty rank: 5/10
I've seen this one labeled as a trap game, and I could see why. Coming off a battle with Georgia, you can't let App State catch you. This game shouldn't be a problem for the Tigers.
NC State Wolfpack
Week 4, home
Date: Sep 21, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 3
Difficulty rank: 9/10
NC State is shaping up to be a very tough opponent for the Tigers in 2024. They crushed in the transfer portal and have their best quarterback in some time in transfer, Grayson McCall. A good home matchup for the Tigers.
Stanford Cardinal
Week 5, home
Date: Sep 28, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 11
Difficulty rank: 2/10
Clemson should have no difficulty taking down Stanford. There's a wide gap in talent and coaching ability between the two programs.
Florida State Seminoles
Week 6, away
Date: Oct. 5, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 2
Difficulty rank: 10/10
A road trip to Tallahassee between the Tigers and their top competition for the ACC Championship is sure to be tough. While I think Clemson is the better team, it's not by much, and this is a hostile environment.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Week 7, away
Date: Oct. 12, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 9
Difficulty rank: 4/10
I'm very low on the Demon Deacons heading into the 2024 season. Dave Clawson's an excellent coach, but this team looks like a clear bottom-of-the-table ACC squad.
Virginia Cavaliers
Week 8, home
Date: Oct. 19, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 10
Difficulty rank: 3/10
Tony Elliott returns to Clemson, but it won't be pretty for him. Virginia has struggled mightily over the past few seasons, and that won't change when they travel to Clemson.
Louisville Cardinals
Week 10, home
Date: Nov. 2, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 6
Difficulty rank: 7/10
This could have a higher ranking, but I will leave it here for now. Clemson is 8-0 against the Cardinals since they joined the ACC, and a home game is definitely in favor of the Tigers.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Week 11, away
Date: Nov. 9, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 4
Difficulty rank: 8/10
I'm higher on the Hokies than many of the national media heading into this season. Their quarterback, Kyron Drones, is my No. 1 Heisman dark horse, and the Tigers heading to another hostile environment for a top ACC matchup isn't easy. There's a chance the Hokies are a 1-loss, possibly undefeated team at this point.
Pittsburgh Panthers
Week 12, away
Date: Nov. 16, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 7
Difficulty rank: 6/10
I'm not high on Pitt heading into this season, but it won't be easy on the road and against one of the better head coaches in the ACC. Clemson shouldn't have problems here, but they must show up.
The Citadel
Week 13, home
Date: Nov. 23, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 12
Difficulty rank: 1/10
There's not much to say about this one. Swinney says it best; it's great to help out other programs in the state.
South Carolina Gameco*cks
Week 14, home
Date: Nov. 30, 2024
Rank on schedule: No. 5
Difficulty rank: 8/10
Clemson is the better team heading into the season and has home field. I would usually rank this lower difficulty-wise, but it's rivalry week, and the Tigers haven't been as dominant as they used to be against the Gameco*cks.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football 2024 schedule, games ranked by difficulty
