The Clemson Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs have very new teams this year, and they also have teams that are going to rely much more on defense than in years past.
Clemson Tigers @ Georgia Bulldogs
Saturday, August 30th – 8:05 PM ET
Odds: Georgia -7.5
Why Clemson Can Cover
They might have the best defensive player on the field in a game that is likely to be controlled by the two defenses. Vic Beasley is a strong and fast defensive end. He is seen as a player who is likely to go in the first round of the draft and quite possibly in the top 10. Beasley is a very disruptive presence on the field. He forces offenses to include a running back or fullback to chip him and prevent him from getting to the quarterback. Speaking of quarterbacks, Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason is a relatively new quarterback. He got to play late last season and in the Bulldogs’ bowl game because of an injury to starter Aaron Murray. That could benefit Mason, but he’s still not a player who has proven himself year in and year out in the Southeastern Conference or against other top teams. Beasley and Clemson have a very good chance of disrupting Mason and taking away anything Georgia might like to do in its passing game. If Clemson can contain Georgia running back Todd Gurley and force the Bulldogs into predictable passing situations, the Tigers can really put the squeeze on Georgia and play this game the way they want to, for the most part. If this is a game based on defense, Clemson is certainly in position to win it.
Why Georgia Can Cover
They are playing at home, which is a big advantage in a game that, last season, was won by the home team as well (Clemson). More than that, however, the Bulldogs are getting Clemson at a time in which the Tigers aren’t sure how good their quarterback and their wide receivers really are. Cole Stoudt is the quarterback for the Tigers this year. He replaces veteran Tajh Boyd, who helped Clemson make a couple of New Year’s Day bowl games and lifted the program to a higher plane. Boyd was joined by DeAndre “Nuke” Hopkins a few seasons ago, and last year, Boyd had Sammy Watkins to work with. All those players have moved on, so Clemson is starting fresh on offense, at least at the skill spots. If the Tigers can’t find instant offense with great regularity, they are going to miss those big plays, and a team such as Georgia, which wants to run the ball and play a physical kind of game between the hash marks with very little fancy stuff, will have to like its chances of winning. Can Clemson score enough? That’s a question the Tigers might not be able to answer the way they want to.
Outlook
If Georgia turns the ball over a lot, Clemson can win. If Georgia doesn’t turn the ball over, it will win. Probably, the Bulldogs will be somewhat sloppy, but not more sloppy than Clemson. Georgia will win the game, and Clemson will cover.
Pick: Clemson +7.5
