NCAA Football Game Preview: Clemson at Georgia Tech

Sep 5, 2022

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Game: Clemson Tigers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Odds: Tigers -23.5, Yellow Jackets +23.5

Total: 51

In most FBS programs, a 10-3 season capped by a bowl win would be considered a great success. At Clemson, it was the first season in a long time that the Tigers were not in the mix for the College Football Playoff. Clemson started the 2021 season 4-3 SU and 0-7 ATS. Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers did figure it out and went 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS down the stretch, but Clemson did not win the ACC title nor did it play in the CFP for the first time in seven seasons

Georgia Tech longs for the days of 10-win seasons. The Yellow Jackets experienced eight winning seasons and an ACC title under previous head coach Paul Johnson. Since Geoff Collins took over three seasons ago, the Ramblin’ Wreck has a grand total of nine victories. In 2022, Collins will have to replace eight of his top 11 tacklers from last season. That defense will face a Clemson offense that should be much better in 2022.

Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei had a disappointing first season as the full-time Tigers starter. He completed less than 56 percent of his passes and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9). In last year’s game against Georgia Tech, for example, Uiagalelei threw for just 126 yards as Clemson scored only 14 points. Clemson finished 85th in the nation in points per game last year.

Georgia Tech wasn’t much better at No. 95 in points per game last season. The offense took a hit when top running back Jahmyr Gibbs entered the transfer portal. Gibbs ran for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns last season. Even with Gibbs, the Yellow Jackets ranked in the bottom half of the country in several offensive categories. That offense is one of the reasons why Georgia Tech is just 9-25 SU over the last three seasons.

Swinney and Clemson have won 36 of the past 38 conference games in the ACC. In the series with Georgia Tech, the Tigers have won nine of the last ten including the last seven straight. Clemson is also 7-3 ATS in those ten games.

Over the latter part of last season, Georgia Tech went 0-6 SU in its last six games and 1-7 ATS in its last eight. Surprisingly, Georgia Tech is 13-5 SU in its last 18 Week 1 games. The Yellow Jackets haven’t typically played AP Top 10 teams in those 18 season openers.

The last seven times these two teams have played, the favorite is 5-1-1 ATS. Clemson is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall. Tonight’s game is at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta giving Georgia Tech a de facto home game. The road team in this series has covered the spread in four of the last six games.

Georgia Tech has averaged just 10.3 points in the last three games against Clemson. The Over is 3-1 in the last four head-to-head meetings.

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