The Clemson Tigers are set to host Louisville in the game of the college football weekend on Saturday night, the first top-5 matchup of the season. Surprisingly, the Tigers are underdogs at home - and that doesn't sit well with them. Here are three reasons why Clemson is guaranteed to beat Louisville this weekend:
3) Clemson's defense vs. Lamar Jackson
Jackson has taken the college football world by storm with his outstanding start to the season, and his performance against Florida State made him the Heisman frontrunner. Many expect him to have the same success against Clemson, but that simply won't be the case. FSU's defense has struggled all year to defend spread offenses - look at what Ole Miss and USF did to them. The Tigers have had no such struggles.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables is one of the best in the country. Not only is this Clemson defense giving up just 11 points per game this season, he has devised a gameplan that limited Oklahoma's high-flying offense (and Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield) to just 17 points last year. In fact, that's how many points Louisville scored against them last year as well. The Cardinals will likely score more than that this time around, but Venables will have a system that will severely limit Jackson.
2) Deshaun Watson
Watson came into the season as the unquestioned best quarterback in the country. Now, many have him taking a backseat to Jackson has the best quarterback in the conference. That undoubtedly doesn't sit well with him, giving him added motivation for this game. Plus, Watson also plays his best in big games. Expect a monstrous performance from him on Saturday night.
1) Home-field advantage
Death Valley is not some place you just walk in and win. This Louisville team hasn't played in a hostile environment yet, and there are definitely questions as to how they will handle it. There are no such questions surrounding this proven Clemson team, who are virtually unbeatable at home. There's no reason to think that will change.
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