Clemson Remains A Small Favorite Against Georgia Tech As Kickoff Nears

Who will win today's matchup between Georgia Tech and Clemson?

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) carries the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Gameday has officially arrived.

While the Yellow Jackets have played in big games under Brent Key, this one carries a significant amount of weight. Georgia Tech has not beaten Clemson since 2014 and a win here would vault Brent Key's team into official contender status in the ACC and for the College Football Playoff. It feels like Key has been building his program up over the past couple of seasons for a moment like this and a win would be monumental.

Can they get it done, though? Clemson comes into this game 1-1, and the vibes around the team have seemingly shifted. After being the runaway preseason favorite in the ACC and starting the year No. 4, the Tigers dropped a close 17-10 game to LSU in week 1, and then after falling behind 16-0 against Troy, they clawed back to win 27-16. It has been a tough start to the year offensively, and Clemson needs a win in this game to silence some of the doubt about them.

Tigers remain a small favorite as kickoff nears

Clemson receiver Tyler Brown (6) catches a pass for a touchdown near Georgia Tech defensive back Jayloh King (14) during the second quarter in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, Nov 11, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; at Memorial Stadium. | Ken Ruinard-staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Tigers dropped their season opener to LSU and were down 16-0 vs Troy before they were able to mount a comeback and defeat the Trojans 27-16. They are the favorite to win the ACC, and at Fanduel Sportsbook, they are 3.5 point favorites vs the Yellow Jackets. In the offseason, Clemson was at one point a 9.5 point favorite over Georgia Tech, but the Tigers' struggles have lowered that number.

This would be one of the biggest wins of Key's tenure as the head coach at Georgia Tech. While he has gotten several ranked wins against ACC opponents, the fact that Georgia Tech has not beaten the Tigers in a long time in the rivalry would add something special to this win if they earned it. Not only that, but Georgia Tech would be have the tiebreaker over the Tigers and would join Miami and Florida State as favorites in the ACC.

Will the Yellow Jackets beat the Tigers?

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) prepares to pass the ball in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is an underdog according to the oddsmakers, but SP+ thinks the Yellow Jackets are going to pull off the upset this weekend. SP+ is giving Georgia Tech a 51% chance to win the game.

What is SP+? Here is how Connelly describes it:

"In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.

SP+ is indeed intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise."

Georgia Tech has a huge opportunity in front of themselves today. Let see if they can take advantage.

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