Clemson @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2014 ) Syracuse 6, Clemson 16

Having passed its toughest ACC test, Clemson takes aim at a struggling Syracuse program when the Tigers visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Clemson, the No. 1 ranked team in both national polls and in the College Football Playoff standings, disposed of Florida State last week, 23-13, to clinch a berth in the ACC championship game next month.

Deshaun Watson led three second-half scoring drives against the Seminoles and finished with 297 passing yards and a touchdown, no interceptions, and 107 yards on the ground. "Everything starts with Deshaun Watson," said Orange coach Scott Shafer. "He's a great football player. ... You can see he has been eager to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country." Syracuse, meanwhile, has lost six games in a row since a 3-0 start to the season. "You're going to have years where you have lots of injuries or are really young," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of the banged-up Orange. "To me it's how your guys play as the season goes on. Anybody can play hard when you're having a good year. How do you play when things aren't going as well?"

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Clemson -28

ABOUT CLEMSON (9-0, 6-0 ACC): The Tigers have won in every way this season, scoring 40 or more points five times and allowing 17 or fewer points six times. Wayne Gallman is a dynamic complement to Watson, as the sophomore tailback enters this matchup with 100-plus rushing yards in six of his last seven games. Defensively, Clemson leads the nation in first downs allowed (13.11), third-down conversion percentage allowed (20.8) and three-and-outs forced (6.33).

ABOUT SYRACUSE (3-6, 1-4): As noted by Swinney, the Orange are one of the nation's youngest teams, having started underclassmen at 18 of 22 positions in last week's defeat against Louisville. One of those starters is quarterback Eric Dungey, a freshman who has not thrown a touchdown pass in either of the last two games. Dungey's status for Saturday is a bit up in the air after a late-game upper-body injury opened the possibility of sophomore walk-on Zack Mahoney facing the nation's No. 1 team.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Orange have not defeated a ranked team since the 2012 season.

2. Since joining the ACC, Syracuse has scored a total of 20 points in two games versus Clemson.

3. Gallman is averaging 108.6 rushing yards per game, just shy of the school's single-season record of 112.1 (Raymond Priester, 1996).

PREDICTION: Clemson 44, Syracuse 9