Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Odds
| Georgia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+27.5 -105 | 52.5 -115o / -105u | +2200 |
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-27.5 -115 | 52.5 -115o / -105u | -6500 |
The ACC gives us a marquee matchup in Week 3 as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to Memorial Stadium to face the Clemson Tigers.
Dabo Swinney and his Tigers need to make a statement to get back into title contention, but the new-look Yellow Jackets present a different challenge than in years past.
Do the Yellow Jackets have what it takes to hang with Clemson? Let's dive in and find out.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech came into the season with a renewed sense of optimism as they entered Geoff Collins' third year. He was originally tasked with the impossible challenge of taking a team that was built for the option and converting it to a spread offense.
Though this year they have finally begun to retool, and results showed in their latest matchup. Clemson will be their biggest test of the year and will reveal whether the Yellow Jackets are truly ready to compete.
Yellow Jackets Offense
This season Collins is finally getting in the personnel that fit his spread-type system. The success of the system begins with the play of freshman quarterback Jordan Yates.
Yates has been solid over the first two games as he's completed over 70 percent of his passes and has yet to throw an interception.
Though Yates is certainly not a one-man band as the Yellow Jackets have actually been more run-heavy and rushed with great success. Led by the duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and Jordan Mason, the Yellow Jackets have run for 4.9 yards per carry and averaged 215 yards a game.
Scoring opportunities may be few and far between against this vaunted Clemson defense, and Georgia Tech will have to capitalize on every one of them to keep it close.
Yellow Jackets Defense
On paper, the Georgia Tech defense has played well this season. It holds many advantages over the Tigers according to advanced metrics.
While those numbers may pop out, they need to be taken lightly as the Yellow Jackets have played Northern Illinois and Kennesaw St.
Those two programs combined do not equal the talent this defense will face against Clemson. Let's keep in mind that this Georgia Tech team lost outright as 18.5 point favorites to Northern Illinois. While the offense dominated in that game, the defense that had an opportunity to win the game and failed to.
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers opened their season with a gritty defensive battle against the Georgia Bulldogs that they ultimately lost. The loss showed some glaring issues with a team that has National Championship aspirations.
If they want to get back into the title picture, they'll need to win, and win convincingly.
Tigers Offense
Entering the season, many had high expectations for the Clemson Tigers offense. D.J. Uiagalelei had displayed his Heisman potential last season and looked ready to be Trevor Lawrence's successor.
Uiagalelei's season got off to a rough start against the Georgia defense as he completed just 51 percent of his passes and was sacked seven times. It got even worse late in the first half when he threw a pick-six — the only touchdown of the game and the deciding factor.
Though what may be more concerning is his play in last week's game. Uiagalelei completed just 58 percent of his passes and threw another interception against South Carolina St.
This upcoming matchup is a huge bounce-back spot for Uiagalelei and the entire Tigers offense. Expect Clemson to make a concerted effort to get it going through the air and put the terrible performance against Georgia long behind them.
Tigers Defense
The Clemson defense is one of the top five units in the nation and they displayed why they are consistently so dominant through their first two games.
After doing everything they could to keep the team in the game against Georgia, the Tigers went out and completely shut down the South Carolina St. offense, as they should have. This defense is trouble for even the best programs in the country, and it may very well be a nightmare for Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Georgia Tech and Clemson match up statistically:
Georgia Tech Offense vs. Clemson Defense
Clemson Offense vs. Georgia Tech Defense
Pace of Play / Other
Data via College Football Data (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF & SportSource Analytics.
Clemson has become a household program and produced numerous NFL-caliber players. The talent disparity in this matchup is massive as Clemson should hold an advantage in every aspect.
Though what will be the factor that dictates how the game will play out is the performance of the Tigers offense.
It was not just Uiagalelei who had a bad day against Georgia: the offensive line was also dismantled. The line will need to play better if they want to get the offense back on track.
Clemson is at home in a conference game, and Dabo knows he needs to make a statement on National Television if he wants his Tigers to regain some recognition.
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Betting Pick
Clemson has defeated Georgia Tech in their last six meetings by an average of 31 points per game.
I expect the Tigers to come out motivated and dominate on both sides of the ball, but these Yellow Jackets are much different from years past. They could keep it close and will score once or twice.
Tech's best chance to score is right out the gate where the drives may be scripted. Add that to a fired-up Tigers offense and we should see plenty of points early on.
