CLEMSON — If Clemson wants to turn its season around, the Tigers will have to do it against some former New England Patriots coaches.
First, this weekend’s noon contest at North Carolina, a program led by first-year college coach Bill Belichick.
Then, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Boston College facing a team coached by former Belichick assistant Bill O’Brien.
That Oct. 11 contest in Chestnut Hill, which just had its kickoff time announced by the ACC on Sept. 29, will air on ACC Network.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has playfully referred to this pair of road games as a “Patriots Tour,” though he probably couldn’t grasp the gravity of these contests before the season began. The Tigers (1-3, 0-2 ACC) badly need wins in early October to generate some positive momentum.
Oddsmakers still have Clemson as two-touchdown favorites this weekend in Chapel Hill because the Tar Heels (2-2) were just pummeled 34-9 by UCF to close their non-conference schedule.
Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC) has had an equally rough start to the season, but the Eagles have a pair of competitive losses to the conference’s West Coast schools. They followed a 30-20 loss at Stanford with a 28-24 loss to Cal at home.
O’Brien, who had two stints as a Patriots assistant from 2007-11 and the 2023 campaign, was also the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014-20. His record at Boston College sits at 8-9 in his second season.
Jeff Hafley, the Packers defensive coordinator, was Boston College’s head coach the last time Clemson visited Alumni Stadium in 2022. That game was also a nighttime kickoff, which the Tigers won 31-3.
