The Clemson Tigers take the cross-country trip to play the California Golden Bears in a Friday night ACC matchup. The coast-to-coast trips are tough on the road team, and the early-season struggles of the Tigers has this line down to a good, old-fashioned pick ‘em. Cal is better than people recognize, and they have beaten Syracuse (and Wagner) after dropping a tough opener to UCLA. Clemson was, of course, obliterated in Baton Rouge in their opener, but they have recovered with home wins over Georgia Southern and North Carolina since. Still, this is an optimal situation for Cal, and I am taking them to win this game.
We all know about the struggles of Clemson at this point. They needed a lightning delay to regroup and salvage a home victory of UNC last Saturday. They are rolling with a freshman QB who has officially taken over the job, and he will probably be good over the long haul. In the short term, there will be some mistakes, no doubt. Cal, for its part, has one of the least appreciated QBs in the county, as often happens with guys who play on the West Coast and evade media attention. But this Cal team can score, and they are one of the more effective passing attacks in the country. I like Cal and their passing attack at home against a Clemson team that has looked shaky at best so far.
Clemson vs California prediction: Cal ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -2.
