Sometimes, the early weeks of the college football season can have light schedules featuring lopsided matchups. But not always.

One of the most anticipated games this weekend features No. 12 Texas A&M, as it is set to travel to take on No. 1 Clemson, the reigning national champions. The Aggies gave the Tigers their closest game last season, when Clemson went a perfect 15-0, as the Tigers held on for a 28-26 win over Texas A&M on Sept. 8, 2018.

The Aggies could likely give the Tigers another close contest on Saturday. And that’s exactly what Clemson is hoping for.

During an interview on SiriusXM Radio this week, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney explained why he likes to schedule challenging non-conference matchups early in the season.

“I love games like this early in the season,” Swinney said in the interview. “I just think that these types of games help you build your program No. 1, but I think, more importantly, it exposes you early in the season and helps you grow your team for that year. Because there’s just so little room for error in games like this. You’re playing a really talented team, and we’re a talented team, so I just think you have an opportunity to really learn and really develop and really grow.”

Clemson and Texas A&M are set to kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Both teams are coming off season-opening victories, as the Tigers beat Georgia Tech 52-14 and the Aggies defeated Texas State 41-7 last weekend.