Rubbing The Rock’s staff provides their predictions for Clemson football’s upcoming matchup with the Auburn Tigers.
Clemson and Auburn are about as familiar with each other as you can get without sharing a conference. Saturday’s contest between the two will mark the fifth time that Clemson has squared off with Auburn under Dabo Swinney.
College Football Playoff implications hang in the balance in this one. With FSU losing Deondre Francois for the season, Auburn has suddenly become Clemson’s toughest opponent. Swinney’s Tigers have an opportunity to continue their run of dominance with a win and War Eagle has an opportunity to catapult themselves into the National Championship discussion.
Here’s our staff’s thoughts on the game:
Andrew Boardwine: 35-17, Clemson.
Eddie Becker: 28-20, Clemson.
Anthony Messenger: 27-24 Clemson.
Tyreese Ingram: 21-17, Clemson.
Star running back, Kerryon Johnson is not expected to play this weekend, due to a nagging hamstring injury. Auburn has bruising runner, Kamryn Pettway to fill the void left by Johnson, however, they have drastically different running styles.
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Pettway is a large, downhill runner looking to punish his way to the endzone, while Johnson is an explosive, shifty back. Sophomore, Kam Martin will be called on to manufacture those chunk plays in Johnson’s absence.
This matchup provides many intriguing matchups across the board, but, none are more important than the battle in the trenches. Both Clemson and Auburn have experienced offensive line units and athletic defensive fronts.
In order for Clemson to win, they must protect Kelly Bryant and give him time to distribute the football. This Auburn defense is an entirely different animal than Kent State. As such, Bryant will not be able to break off the 20+ yard runs that he did against the Golden Flashes. Clemson’s inexperienced starter will be counted on to make timely, accurate throws.
Next: 3 keys to a victory vs. Auburn
I see this matchup coming down to the wire as we have seen so many times before. Regardless who is favored, Clemson and Auburn always seem to play each other close.