Notre Dame has been one of the biggest surprises in the ACC, jumping out to a 20-2 start behind one of the nation's top scoring offenses. They've since lost 2-of-3, with both of those defeats coming on the road. Their last game was a devastating 90-60 loss at Duke, which could be tough to shake off. The Irish are on the road again Tuesday taking on Clemson.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Home Cookin' - This will be the first ever trip to Clemson for the Irish, who look to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. Clemson is 9-4 at home, and it's won three of it's last four at LittleJohn Coliseum.

2. Defense -The Irish depend on their sharp shooting, something that eluded them in the loss to Duke as they hit below 40% of their attempts for just the second time this season. They could find it difficult once again tonight, against a Tigers defense that allows opponents to shoot a league low 38.3% from the field. Clemson has held opponents below 40% shooting in each of it's last five games.

3. X-Factor - These teams have trended in opposite directions when coming off a loss. The Tigers have been able to bounce back and cover the spread in five of their last seven after a loss, while the Irish have failed to do so in four of their last five such situations.

Selection: This is a play on the Clemson Tigers (10*)