Keys to Victory: No. 2 Clemson at No. 17 Boston College

A win would also represent the 50th by the Clemson senior class, which would tie school and ACC records for wins by a senior class. A victory would give Clemson its eighth consecutive 10-win season to tie Miami (1985-92) and Virginia Tech (2004-11) for the fourth-longest streak of 10-win seasons in FBS history.

Clemson's ability to reach its goals this season has been aided in part by the ground game on both sides of the ball. Clemson ranks No. 1 in the nation in both yards per carry (6.94) and yards per carry against (2.24).

With a school-record 13.3 yards per carry last week and 11.8 vs. Wake Forest, Clemson became only the second FBS team since 2000 to record multiple games with at least 11.0 yards per carry in a single season (Marshall, two in 2013).

Entering this week, Clemson has...

• Won 52 of its last 56 overall, dating to 2014
• Won 31 of its last 33 against ACC teams
• Won 60 of its last 62 when leading at halftime
• Gone 81-2 since 2011 when leading after three quarters
• Gone 35-0 when scoring first since 2015
• Posted an 82-2 record when recording more first downs than its opponent since 2011

The Match Up:

Clemson (9-0, 6-0) vs. Boston College (7-2, 4-1)

Clemson vs. Boston College 2017 Highlights:

Clemson vs. Boston College 2016 Highlights:

All-Time Series:

Clemson leads: 16-9-2
at Clemson:  Clemson leads 7-3-1
at Boston College: Clemson leads 8-6-1
Neutral: Clemson leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Clemson won 34-7 in 2017 
Streak: Clemson has won seven in a row

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Stat of the Week:

No. 2 Clemson will be in search of its fourth consecutive ACC Atlantic Division title, becoming the first team to win four straight division titles since the ACC's formation of divisions in 2005. A division title would be Clemson's sixth overall in that span, which would add to the most of any ACC Atlantic program and tie Virginia Tech for the most of any ACC program in either division.

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Travis Etienne leads Clemson's ground game into Alumni Stadium tonight. 

Key 1: Free Travis

Running back Travis Etienne has been red hot for a good portion of the season, but he hit a lull in the weeks leading up to last weekend's game against Louisville. Etienne took eight carries in that ball game and ran for an incredible 153 yards in a short, efficient day. He figures to be in for a much bigger workload against the Eagles' physical defense, and Clemson needs to find a way to spring him loose in a big road game. Etienne as 998 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns this season. The sophomore back should hit the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career early in the contest.

Key 2: Dominate The Lines 

Boston College wants this to be a four quarter game. In order for that to happen, their offense needs to control the line of scrimmage and be able to pick up chunks of yards on the ground. BC running back A.J. Dillion is questionable but expected to play. Dillion can be a difference maker in that gameplan and was compared to former New England Patriot back Corey Dillon during ESPN's College GameDay broadcast.

Clemson needs to control the line of scrimmage against the Eagles' offense and ruin those plans. Meanwhile, the Clemson offensive line needs to push back BC in the running game, and protect Trevor Lawrence against a defense that ranks 12th in the country in sacks (3.11 per game).

Key 3: Get Into The End Zone  

This one may seem silly on the surface, but Boston College is good at turning away potential scoring threats. Teams have run plays in the BC red zone 33 times this season; of those attempts, teams have scored on just 24 of them, which is good for 12th in the country. Clemson needs to cash in on potential touchdown opportunities, and not turn them into field goals, or worse, no score. The Tigers have been very effective in that respect with Lawrence at quarterback. If that continues tonight, you can expect to see Clemson playing in the ACC Championship.

Prediction:

Clemson's offense has been on cruise control since venturing into Wake Forest back in October. There is no doubt that Lawrence's ability to spread the football around the field has been the biggest catalyst to the Tigers' success.

Temperatures are expected to be cold, but not unbearable and that shouldn't slow done the Tiger offense. 

As for the defense, we believe that Boston College's scheme plays right into the paws of Brent Venables' defense. The Tigers' deep rotation up front should be able to slow Dillon, keeping him from the second level and providing the Clemson's offense with plenty of opportunities to put points on the board.

Final Score Predictions: 

Perfect Prediction = 5 points              Best Prediction = 3 Points         Correct Prediction = 1 Point 

**Pick of the Week: Indicates the best prediction given for that game.