Can a week off help Clemson in the ACC tournament?
This season hasn’t been what Clemson hoped for. In USA Softball’s preseason rankings, the Tigers were ranked No. 7 and were the second-highest-ranked team in the ACC.
However, as the season progressed, Clemson dwindled to its lowest ranking in week 12 at No. 22. They lost early non-conference games and a couple of key series, including being swept by Duke, that pushed the team down in the rankings.
Clemson has yet to play two of the three teams ahead of it. Virginia Tech and Florida State had great seasons, with winning percentages of .800 and .770, respectively. Needless to say, the Tigers have a tough road to a tournament championship.
Luckily, Clemson doesn’t play this week. Duke and Virginia Tech don’t either. On the other hand, Florida State will play four. If they manage to land on the FSU’s side of the bracket, the Tigers could theoretically have an advantage.
That means it’s time to borrow a Seminoles hat from that cousin no one talks to, learn how the tomahawk chop, and cheer for FSU this week. If they can sweep Syracuse this weekend, the Seminoles will overtake Duke as the No. 1 seed.
Virginia and Clemson are tied for fourth in the conference, and no team is close to overtaking them. They’ve locked up the fourth and fifth seeds and will play each for a chance to knock off the No. 1 seed.
