For as close as the Syracuse game was for Clemson, it does not look to be the case when the Tigers host Georgia Tech next Saturday afternoon. According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, Clemson opens up as a 13.5-point home favorite over the visiting Yellow Jackets. This comes off Clemson's close road win over a feisty Syracuse team, while Georgia Tech suffered its seventh loss against Louisville.
The associated moneylines coming are Clemson -550 and Georgia Tech +420. This means that you would need to wager $550 on Clemson to win $100, while a $100 bet on Georgia Tech would pocket you $420. The projected point total for this game comes in at a combined 47.5 points. Based on the point spread, we should be looking at a final score in the vicinity of Clemson 30.5, Georgia Tech 17.
Given that Clemson has only scored 30 or more points twice this year, that is a big ask for the Tigers to cover in this one. That being said, Georgia Tech is the first team in the ACC to be eliminated from bowl eligibility considerations. Brent Key's team is a far cry from what it had been only a season ago. This just goes to show what happens when a good, but not great team suffers coordinator attrition.
Tait Reynolds will need to be the player to beat Georgia Tech decisively
It almost goes without saying, but this needs to be the best game of Tait Reynolds' Clemson career. He is coming off another game without a touchdown pass, as the entire Clemson offense did not get into the end zone on Syracuse. Clemson has two tough opponents after its date with the Ramblin' Wreck: at Duke on a Friday night, and then home against hated South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl.
South Carolina will be ranked once again this week in the second College Football Playoff rankings. While Clemson may be in consideration for a top-25 nod after improving to 6-3 on the year, Duke is a win better than the Tigers at 7-2. Then again, the Blue Devils' two losses on the season are to Georgia Tech and North Carolina, two teams that Clemson should have wins over before all is said and done.
While this is not to say that Chad Morris needs to empty the chamber with his play-calling taking on Georgia Tech, the Tigers will need a far better offensive showing than what they put forth against Syracuse. Again, this comes back to Reynolds taking his game up a notch. Although Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza can play a little bit, his team has not been up to standard this season.
At this time, just because Clemson enters Week 11 as a 13.5-point home favorite over Georgia Tech does not give the Tigers the luxury of overlooking the Ramblin' Wreck. This is a big ACC rivalry game after all, one that Clemson needs to right last year's wrong in. The Tigers did get it done in Week 10 against Syracuse, but they really need to be riding a three-game winning streak before playing Duke.
Anything short of a decisive Week 11 victory over Georgia Tech at home should not be acceptable.
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