Clemson falls 34 spots, still towers over Citadel

Both teams have moved by the same amount since the preseason, just in opposite directions. Clemson has dropped 34 places, from No. 36 to No. 70 in Division I, while Citadel has climbed 34 spots, from No. 330 to No. 296. That symmetry aside, Versus still rates this one lopsided, projecting Clemson to win 84-68 and giving the Tigers an 86 percent chance to take it.

Clemson carries an A- overall grade and a B+ offense into the game, even after its three-game winning streak ended in a loss to Georgetown. The Tigers have also posted a winning record in 14 straight seasons, a run that speaks to the program's consistency even in a slide year. Citadel, by contrast, is graded D+ overall and ranks 301st in offense, but the Bulldogs have won two straight, including a breakthrough result at North Florida, a team that sits 12 spots ahead of them, for their first true road win of the season.

This is a non-conference game, and the history leans heavily toward Clemson, which leads the series 5-0 since 2010 and has won all five meetings in that stretch. Citadel's rise gives it a puncher's chance, but Clemson's offense and its edge in team strength make it the clear choice in Versus's model.