Preview and Predictions: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech

Clemson will kick off its 127th football season in school history in grand fashion on Labor Day as the Tigers travel to the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for a prime-time ACC matchup with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Monday, Sept. 5.

Kickoff for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET. Clemson enters the 2022 campaign riding a streak of 11 consecutive 10-win seasons, including the 2021 campaign in which Clemson battled through injuries and a 4-3 start to finish 10-3 and ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll.

While much attention has been paid to Clemson’s coaching staff turnover necessitated by the departure of two long-time coordinators for head coaching positions, Clemson’s roster stability since the start of the spring has been unique, leading Head Coach Dabo Swinney to praise his team’s loyalty, commitment and self-awareness in a transfer-heavy era for college football.

“We had 109 guys go through spring; 109 guys are still here,” Head Coach Dabo Swinney said. “Not one person left. There are only four of the Power 65 teams that didn’t have somebody leave after spring. That says a lot about what our players think about our coaches but more importantly what they think of their experience and the love of Clemson and their culture and each other.”

Will Vandervort: Dabo Swinney was clear earlier this week when asked which position group he is excited to see play on Labor Day night. He is excited to see his offensive line. Last year, the Tigers’ offensive line was much maligned, playing a role on why Clemson was so bad on offense last year. But freshman Blake Miller has come in and taken over at right tackle, asserting himself as the starter. That allowed Walker Parks to move inside to right guard, giving Clemson a veteran presence at a position of major concern. Then there is Will Putnam at center. He moved to center in the spring from right guard, and he ran away with the job, again, giving the Tigers another veteran at a position of need. Jordan McFadden is solid at left tackle, and the All-ACC candidate says Marcus Tate is light years better than he was this time last year. Add it all up and the Clemson offensive line should be much better, which means the offense will be much better. I think the O-line will assert itself against Georgia Tech, allowing Will Shipley and Kobe Pace to have a big night. Tigers win going away.

Clemson 42, Georgia Tech 14

Brad Senkiw: Season openers are a challenge to predict. College football gets no preseason games and just two major live scrimmages. Tackling can be an issue. The timing can be off on offense. Special teams can affect Game 1 more than any other. Things can get weird. That all being said, it might not apply to Clemson in this situation. The Tigers feel like they have something to prove in front of a national audience Monday night. Georgia Tech doesn't have the size and depth to truly challenge Clemson in the trenches, so as long as the Tigers come to play, they'll dominate up front. It might not look great for 60 minutes, but the better team will prevail with relative ease as long as Uiagaeleli can keep the chains moving with at least some accurate throws. The defense will be salty and make life difficult on GT's Jeff Sims by keeping him in the pocket.

Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 6

Jason Priester: Don't expect a repeat of last season when Georgia Tech gave Clemson all it could handle. This Clemson team is just too good up front on the defensive side of the ball and unlike last year, the offensive line is settled, and more importantly, healthy. The Tigers should own the line of scrimmage, and this team appears to be coming in with a chip on its shoulder, with something to prove. The running game gets going early, the passing game is more than serviceable with DJ Uiagalelei, and the defense is downright dominant.

Clemson 34 Georgia Tech 6