Clemson football game-by-game predictions for 2023 season

The start of Clemson football's 2023 season is less than a week away. The Tigers open coach Dabo Swinney's 15th season on the road at Duke on Monday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Clemson is hoping to improve on last season's 10-3 finish. The Tigers are the reigning ACC champions, but regular-season losses to Notre Dame and rival South Carolina and an Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee have tainted the 2022 season for some.

Here's how we think all 12 of Clemson's games this season will play out.

Sept. 4: at Duke

Last season: Did not play. Duke went 9-4.

The buzz:Duke massively overachieved last season under now second-year coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils return quarterback Riley Leonard, who had the fourth-most passing yards (2,967) in the ACC last season, as well as eight starters on defense.

The prediction: Clemson wins 35-21.

Sept. 9: vs. Charleston Southern

Last season: Did not play. Charleston Southern went 2-8.

The buzz: The Buccaneers are rebuilding under a new coach in Gabe Giardina. Never say never, but don't expect an FCS upset bid from Charleston Southern.

The prediction: Clemson wins 42-3.

Sept. 16: vs. Florida Atlantic

Last season: Did not play. Florida Atlantic went 5-7.

The buzz: The Owls enter Year 1 in the American Athletic Conference and under coach Tom Herman, who was Ohio State's offensive coordinator when the Tigers beat the Buckeyes in the 2013 Orange Bowl. FAU is in need of a new quarterback, and its defense, while experienced, left plenty to be desired last season.

The prediction: Clemson wins 38-14.

Sept. 23: vs. Florida State

Last season: Clemson won 34-28.

The buzz: This is the biggest ACC game of the regular season. It will likely determine who's No. 1 and who's No. 2 in the league at the end of the season, not to mention the potential College Football Playoff implications. Florida State has a bona fide star at quarterback in Jordan Travis, an excellent secondary and an experienced team all around.

The prediction: Florida State wins 31-28.

Sept. 30: at Syracuse

Last season: Clemson won 27-21.

The buzz: Clemson sometimes has problems against the Orange, particularly on the road. Syracuse hasn't won since 2017, but four of the past six meetings were decided by six points or fewer. Be wary of veteran quarterback Garrett Shrader, but watch for Clemson to exploit some defensive weaknesses.

The prediction: Clemson wins 31-21.

Oct. 7: vs. Wake Forest

Last season: Clemson won in two overtimes, 51-45.

The buzz: This is a very different Wake Forest team than the one that made Clemson sweat last season, most notably at quarterback with one of the ACC's top arms in Sam Hartman gone (more on him later). As for the defense, there are some veterans, but the Demon Deacons were among the league's worst scoring defenses last season.

The prediction: Clemson wins 42-17.

Oct. 21: at Miami

Last season: Clemson won 40-10.

The buzz: Miami underachieved last season, going 5-7 in Year 1 under coach Mario Cristobal. But a healthy quarterback in Tyler Van Dyke and a new coordinator in Shannon Dawson from Houston should make the offense better. New defensive coordinator Lance Guidry has some talent, but the Miami defense has some unproven transfers and question marks in the secondary.

The prediction: Clemson wins 35-17.

Oct. 28: at NC State

Last season: Clemson won 30-20.

The buzz: The Wolfpack offense looks suspect with a new quarterback in Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong and without clear go-to guys in the running or receiving game. NC State led the ACC in scoring defense last season with 19.2 points per game allowed, and it has some important players back on that side of the ball.

The prediction: Clemson wins 28-14.

Nov. 4: vs. Notre Dame

Last season: Notre Dame won 35-14.

The buzz: Clemson got embarrassed by the Fighting Irish last year, and now Notre Dame has Hartman leading the offense. Both his passing attack and the run game looked excellent last week, but that was against a rebuilding Navy program. Defensive line is a potential weakness Clemson could exploit.

The prediction: Clemson wins 35-31.

Nov. 11: vs. Georgia Tech

Last season: Clemson won 41-10.

The buzz: Georgia Tech has a new coach in Brent Key, under whom the Yellow Jackets went 4-4 in their final eight games after the midseason firing of Geoff Collins. There are plenty of unknowns with a new staff and plenty of transfers, so expect this season to look like what it is: Year 1.

The prediction: Clemson wins 38-13.

Nov. 18: vs. UNC

Last season: Clemson won 39-10 in the ACC Championship game.

The buzz: Last year's ACC Player of the Year, quarterback Drake Maye, is back after leading the Tar Heels to a No. 2 national ranking in total offense per game (358.5 yards). But the defense was the worst in the ACC last season with 30.8 points allowed per game, and there wasn't much offseason movement to inspire hopes of a vastly different outcome this year.

The prediction: Clemson wins 41-31.

Nov. 25: at South Carolina

Last season: South Carolina won 31-30.

The buzz: South Carolina got some big wins last season, including the Clemson game and another against Tennessee. The offense retains quarterback Spencer Rattler and star receiver Juice Wells, but the defense lost most of its starting talent.

The prediction: Clemson wins 34-28.

Season prediction

Clemson finishes 11-1 (7-1 ACC).