Top 5 matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 college football season
3. No. 20 Clemson at Pittsburgh – Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN
Clemson and Pittsburgh will match up for just the sixth time on Saturday in a big game that will heavily factor into the ACC championship race. The first contest between the two teams came in the 1977 Gator Bowl, while the other four matchups have all taken place since 2016 as conference opponents, highlighted by the 2018 ACC championship game won by the Tigers.
Clemson is a 10-point favorite in the teams鈥� first matchup since 2021 and needs a victory to keep pace in the ACC. The Tigers are 6-1 in the conference and 7-2 overall, getting blown out in their season-opener against Georgia while suffering a tough loss against Louisville a couple of weeks ago. Outside of their losses, the Tigers have often outscored opponents by a wide margin with a seventh-ranked offense that puts up over 470 yards and 37.7 points per game. Talented quarterback Cade Klubnik has led the charge alongside halfback Phil Mafah who will likely surpass 1,000 yards rushing this weekend.
While Clemson needs a win, Pitt might be even more desperate. Two weeks ago, the Panthers were 7-0 and looked like a playoff darkhorse. Following a blowout defeat at SMU and a close home loss to Virginia, Pitt is unranked with matchups against Clemson and Louisville ahead. With the Panthers鈥� defense struggling, their best chance for victory will be leaning on an offense that ranks 16th in scoring at 36.7 points per game. That鈥檚 thanks to an impressive passing attack, but Pitt likely needs starting quarterback Eli Holstein, who left last week鈥檚 game with a head injury, to suit up in order to pull off an upset.
