#1 Clemson at Georgia Tech
Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Noon ABC
Clemson comes into the weekend after having dismantled the Miami Hurricanes 42-17 last Saturday night in what was technically a matchup of two top ten teams, and the game was not as close as the score might indicate.
So far, this Clemson team looks like the most complete team in the country and it really isn’t even close. Alabama looks solid, as does Georgia, but the Tide have issues on defense and there are still questions about the Bulldogs offense. The two face off this weekend, so we should know more after Saturday.
As for the the Tigers, they head down to Atlanta this weekend to take on Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium, a place that hasn’t been very kind to Clemson over the years. However, it seems Dabo Swinney has conquered those demons as he is looking for his third straight win in Atlanta and sixth consecutive overall against the Yellow Jackets.
The Tigers are almost a four touchdown favorite and rightfully so. The talent gap between these two teams is gigantic. While Tech has made strides in year two of the Geoff Collins era, they are still a long ways off from the caliber of team of which they are about to face off with.
Twice this season Georgia Tech has allowed a team to rush for more than 240 yards. They are allowing more that four yards per carry on the ground and with Travis Etienne and company rolling into town this weekend, that spells trouble for the Rambling Wreck.
The Jackets do seem to have found their quarterback in Jeff Sims but he is just a freshman and oftentimes this season has looked like one. He has already thrown nine picks and only two teams in the country have turned the ball over more than Georgia Tech has this season.
The Clemson secondary has gotten better with each passing week and are capable of making Sims pay dearly for any bad decisions he might make. Derion Kendrick and Andrew Booth Jr have made life difficult on opposing receivers from Virginia and Miami the past two weeks and there is no reason to think that level of play won’t continue on the road this weekend.
And last but not least, there is Trevor Lawrence. The junior quarterback is off to the kind of start that have most already talking Heisman. He is making good decisions, taking what defenses are giving him, and hasn’t thrown an interception in what seems like forever.
Again, the Tigers are huge favorites and rightfully so. The only real question in this one is how long guys like Lawrence and Etienne actually play.
Clemson 45 Georgia Tech 7
Nathan Shipman (Contributor): Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne each do just enough to boost their Heisman stats, and the rest are kicked field goals. After having three field goals blocked last week, BT Potter is furious and ready to take it out on the football! Remember how mad he was last season at Louisville after missing two straight? Now he has missed three, none were his fault, and it brought his accuracy from an A to an F (100-64)….. Clemson 48 Georgia Tech 7
Every week we try and include some predictions from you, the reader. Each week we take them over in the Junkies Facebook group. As usual, everyone picked the Tigers.
Ayanna Booker 40-21
Robert Rambow 47-10
Joey Rogers 45-10
Matt Phillips 48-24
Gene Morris 42-10
Marson Amerson 43-10
Scott Kelly 63-6
Hugh Patterson 42-7
James Matherly 49-10
Debby Laidlaw 58-13
