WHAT TO KNOW

What’s at stake

Clemson’s national championship chances. The undefeated Tigers know any misstep now will cost them a place in the four-team tournament. For South Carolina, the national championship is right now and knocking off the top-ranked Tigers is a perfect way to salvage something out of a sorry season.

Key matchup

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson vs. South Carolina’s defense. Watson has played at an increasingly higher level with each game and has led the Tigers to seven straight contests with 500 or more yards of offense. The Gamecocks are next-to-last in the Southeastern Conference and 89th nationally in defense, allowing almost 425 yards a game.

Players to watch

Clemson: RB Wayne Gallman has rushed for 1,000 yards, the first Tiger runner to do that since Rod McDowell in 2012. He’s had six 100-yard games. Gallman sat out last week’s win over Wake Forest, but says he

feels good and is ready to go against South Carolina.

South Carolina: WR Pharoh Cooper is the Gamecocks top — some would say only — offensive playmaker. He’s had a team-high 62 catches for 887 yards this season and could have a second-straight 1,000-yard season with a big game against Clemson.

Facts & figures

Was it just two years ago that South Carolina was in its third 11-win season and defeated Clemson for a fifth straight time? Gamecocks have gone 10-14 the past two seasons ... Clemson is looking to tie the school record with its 15th straight win, which it set from 1947-49. Tigers have not been 11-0 since 1981 national championship season ... South Carolina’s only victory over a No. 1 team was in 2010 when it defeated top-ranked Alabama 35-21 ... Throw out the record books? Maybe in this rivalry. The team with the better record entering the contest has lost seven of the past 10 years.

Betting line

Clemson by 18