We've been hearing a lot of talk about a potential North Carolina Tar Heels upset in Saturday's ACC Championship game, with experts openly wondering what will happen in the College Football Playoff standings if the #1 Clemson Tigers are upended. They won't have to worry about that. Here's 3 Reasons Why Clemson Is GUARANTEED To Beat North Carolina.
3. UNC's Defense Isn't There Yet
The Tar Heels' defense has improved by leaps and bounds in its first year under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, but they have neither the athletes nor the consistent pass rush to match what's going on at Clemson. The Tigers are going to frustrate UNC QB Marquise Williams all day long with pressure off the edge. The Tar Heels don't have the right talent to match that. In fact, Deshaun Watson is just too dang athletic to be contained by North Carolina's defense for long. Speaking of Watson...
2. Clemson's QB Is The Key
There may be quarterbacks out there with better stat lines, but there isn't a more complete threat nor leader out there than Deshaun Watson. Every time a game's been down to the wire (or verging that way), Watson has made a play with his arm and/or his feet. He's the complete weapon, and a respected locker room leader to boot. He's not going to let Clemson's first undefeated regular season since 1981 go to naught.
1. Who Has North Carolina Played?
Clemson has wins over #8 Notre Dame and #9 Florida on their perfect resume. North Carolina hasn't beaten a team currently ranked in the CFP Top 25 and lost to a bad South Carolina team on opening night. The proof is in the results. Clemson has answered the bell swinging in every game they've played. UNC hasn't been tested the way the Tigers have. The Tar Heels will face a game of great magnitude for the first time all season, and it's too bad for them it's going to come against a battle-tested Clemson squad.