It turns out that my schedule projection yesterday was off the mark. One usually reliable source indicated that Louisiana Tech and Pittsburgh were locked as 2009 non-conference opponents. It turned out not to be the case, although the source was correct about Middle Tennessee State. I projected that in addition to Georgia Tech, the two ACC Coastal division opponents would be Duke and Virginia. Had I take the time to dig a little deeper on the ACC's website, I would have found the future conference schedule through 2015 which showed the 2009 Tigers facing Miami and Virginia.
Speaking of the ACC's football scheduling procedure, I learned some other things on their website as well. Of course I knew that we played Georgia Tech every year but I didn't know why. It turns out that each ACC team has been assigned one primary crossover opponent from the opposite division, meaning those two teams will play every year. Clemson's primary crossover opponent is Georgia Tech. This makes sense considering that before the Tigers and Yellowjackets were split into the separate divisions in 2004, there was a tremendous history and rivalry between these two teams dating back to 1898.
Speaking of the ACC's football scheduling procedure, I learned some other things on their website as well. Of course I knew that we played Georgia Tech every year but I didn't know why. It turns out that each ACC team has been assigned one primary crossover opponent from the opposite division, meaning those two teams will play every year. Clemson's primary crossover opponent is Georgia Tech. This makes sense considering that before the Tigers and Yellowjackets were split into the separate divisions in 2004, there was a tremendous history and rivalry between these two teams dating back to 1898.
Now, here is another fact from the ACC's website: Each year from 2006 to 2015 (10 seasons), one non-divisional opponent will rotate on, and off, each conference team's schedule so that each team will play their non-divisional opponents an equal number of times with the exception of their primary crossover opponent. The "equal number of times" ends up being 4. So, at the end of the 10 year period, the Tigers will have played every one of the five Coastal division opponents (besides Georgia Tech) a total of 4 times each.
For example, the Tigers have not faced Miami since 2005, which is outside the 2006-2015 schedule in question. So, Clemson will play Miami away in 2009 and at home in 2010. They will then play Miami away in 2014 and at home in 2015, covering four games total. The Tigers played Va. Tech away in 2006 and at home in 2007. They face Va. Tech on the road in 2011 and at home in 2012, covering four games total. The only exception to the home/away series in consecutive years is the UNC, which the Tigers faced at home in 2006 but will not play again until an away game in 2010. This is followed by a home game in 2011 and then a final matchup away in 2015, covering four games total.
Clemson played Duke away in 2007 and at home in 2008. They face the Blue Devils away in 2012 and at home in 2013, covering the four total games. Finally, the Tigers played Virginia away in 2008 and face them at home in 2009. They play again in Charlottesville in 2013 and in Clemson in 2014, covering four games total. So, now that we have all of that straight, here is the 2009 Clemson Tigers Football Schedule with home games in CAPS:
09/05 MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIV.
09/10 at Georgia Tech
09/19 BOSTON COLLEGE
09/26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
10/03 at Maryland
10/17 WAKE FOREST
10/24 at Miami
10/31 COASTAL CAROLINA
11/07 FLORIDA STATE
11/14 at NC State
11/21 VIRGINIA
11/28 at South Carolina
GO TIGERS!
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