In case you haven't heard, there's a big rivalry game this weekend in the Palmetto State. Clemson will be attempting to end a 4 game losing streak to South Carolina. Both teams are highly ranked and this game looks to be as competitive as it has ever been in the rivalry.
Clemson's Offense vs South Carolina's Defense
Clemson will have a lot of their attention on the Gamecock front four led by Jadaveon
Clowney. Last year he dominated Clemson. Though he doesn't have the stats he had last season, he is still a physical freak. He won't be lacking effort like in a few games earlier in the year. Look for the Tigers to double team Clowney often. But they can't do it all the time or Chaz Sutton and Kelsy Quarles will make them pay. Clemson has to be balanced with the run and the pass. Look for quite a bit of quick receiver screens to negate the Gamecock Dline pressure. The Tigers are going to have to take a few shots deep as well. Tajh Boyd is going to have to keep his composure and make sure he throws accurate deep balls. Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant should be able to get open against the SC secondary. The Gamecock's secondary will be led by Vic Hampton.
South Carolina's Offense vs the Clemson's Defense
The South Carolina offense will be heavily focused in accounting for the Clemson Dline. Vic
Beasley and Grady Jarrett in particular can cause problems. Beasley will be vital to the Tigers success in defense. He will need to prevent Connor Shaw from breaking the pocket. When Shaw is able to get extra time, he creates major problems for defenses. The 
Tiger secondary has its struggles but allowing Bruce Ellington, Damier Byrd, and Shaq Roland extra time to get open will be a nightmare for them. Running back Mike Davis has excelled in the run game. Allowing him to be effective, will lead to a long day for the Clemson D. They were able to contain BC running back Andre Williams, a Heisman candidate, so they have proven they can hold up.
Special Teams
Gamecock's Elliott Frye and Clemson's Chandler Catanzaro have been very good with field goal attempts inside of 40 yards. Catanzaro is better from beyond 40. Combine that with the fact that he's made kicks in the clutch gives the Tigers a major weapon if this game is a close one. The return game hasn't been big for either team but that doesn't mean that there aren't athletes on the field that can have big returns. Bad kick coverage could result in points given up.
X-Factor
The play of the linemen will be the determining factor in the outcome of this game. Both Dlines are very good. The one that is able to be more dominate should leave Saturday night with a win.
Prediction
This matchup of 2 top ten opponents should be one of the best games in this rivalry's history. The winner could propel themselves into a BCS Bowl. This game should be close to the end. The Tiger Dline improvement should help the Tigers win. Keeping the Gamecocks from sustaining long, time consuming drives will be critical. Offensively, Clemson needs to and should be able to have just enough big plays to win. This game could go either way regardless. It's hard to win 2 in a row in this rivalry much less 5. Clemson wins 31-27.
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