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1. When you reach Clemson’s stature, they’re all big recruiting weekends.

Saturday’s 8 p.m. showdown at No. 12 Virginia Tech certainly carries a lot of weight for its season's ramifications.

But it also figures to bear some resonance for recruiting this cycle and beyond.

Standard disclaimers: The impact of single-game outcomes tends to be overstated, and how the Tigers fare over the course of the season means exponentially more in shaping perception.

Yet not only has Clemson ascended to the point it draws everyone’s best shot. Opponents aim to use the Tigers as their springboard for gaining credibility.

In other words, the other team has more to gain by knocking off the giant than Clemson adds by sustaining its position.

A couple of cases in point this weekend: