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Rex Brown

Clemson's Jacoby Ford (6) carries for a first down against North Carolina State earlier this season at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

CLEMSON – Neither Clemson nor Virginia will be in next month’s ACC championship game, but both can consider Saturday’s match-up similar to a playoff game.

The Tigers (5-5, 3-4 ACC) need to win their final two regular season games – Saturday at the Cavaliers and the home finale against South Carolina – to become bowl eligible as they own two victories over championship subdivision teams.

Virginia (5-5, 3-3) needs one win in its last two, with its finale a tough task at Virginia Tech.

Despite being two of the few ACC teams eliminated from the conference chase in a parity-filled season, Saturday’s game carries plenty of juice with postseason hopes on the line.

“A bowl game is the most fun part of the season, it’s what you play for all year,” junior receiver Jacoby Ford said. “It’s a reward and a privilege and you don’t want to end things in the regular season, especially for your seniors.”

Junior tailback C.J. Spiller credited much of his recent surge in production with his desire to help provide the team’s seniors with one more bowl trip.

“That’s the main thing, you don’t want these seniors to have to play their last game next week,” Spiller said. “So we have to understand there’s no looking forward to (playing South Carolina). We just have to execute and I’ve taken it upon myself to try and see to it these guys make it to postseason play.”

Even if that postseason promises to be a bowl game in Boise, Charlotte, Nashville or some other destination that a usually bowl-eligible Clemson team is looking to avoid. The Tigers have been bowl eligible ever year since 1998, although they stayed home in 2004 as punishment for a brawl with South Carolina.

While their last two games both feature a win or go home mentality when it comes to a bowl trip, the Tigers are attempting to stay loose and not let the severity of the situation become a burden.

“In my eyes there’s not really any added pressure, it’s just another game each and every day and we all know we have to win,” linebacker Brandon Maye said. “Everybody’s going to give their best effort no matter what the circumstances these last couple of games.”