There were times under Cliff Ellis (1985 to 1995) and then Oliver Purnell (2004 through 2010) when Clemson was noted for piling up consecutive victories to open the season. This became a notorious trait, like the Tigers losing at Chapel Hill, in part because the wins came largely against overmatched, nonconference opponents.
The height of those introductory successes was reached under Purnell between 2006 through 2009, when his teams won 11, 17, 10 and 16 times to start the year. Those streaks seemed a bit hollow. Only in 1997, under coach Rick Barnes, did Tiger runs include victories in even 5 straight ACC games, and that not to open play.