WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TECH
If there is one question coming into a season that would be difficult to answer, this is the one. When Mack Brown said that North Carolina was criminally overrated last year at the ACC Kickoff, one only has to go back to the fourth game of the season against Georgia Tech to understand the magnitude of his response. Georgia Tech throttled North Carolina in Mercedes Benz Stadium and was sitting at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play. And that was just after the Jackets gave Clemson all it could handle in Death Valley! One would think that Tech and head coach Geoff Collins were feeling pretty good about themselves. Then, for some inexplicable reason, the wheels came off. I am not talking about one wheel or a flat tire, I mean all 4 wheels came off, as Georgia Tech lost 7 of their next 8 games to finish the season at 3-9. It was a very disappointing ending after a somewhat promising start.
It's no secret that Geoff Collins has had to start from ground zero in rebuilding Georgia Tech. He is in his fourth season down on the flats in Atlanta, and most prognosticators have him being fired before the season ends. Obviously, no one can predict what is going to happen, but at the same time, if you look at the projected starting lineup, not one recruit from his first recruiting class is listed as a starter, and that can pose a problem. The fans in the 404 are restless as well, and ticket sales on the flats are at a all-time low. Tech is hoping that the same request for tickets as last year's game against North Carolina will have the same result against Clemson. In case you haven't heard, the upper-deck at Mercedes Benz Stadium will be closed off, so only the lower bowl of the stadium will be filled.
Georgia Tech gave the Tigers a ball game in Clemson last year, looking to avenge the historic 73-7 loss in Atlanta in 2020. Look for Geoff Collins to use that as motivation, as his Jackets nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the season, only losing 14-8 in Death Valley. Should Georgia Tech manage to pull it off this time, Collins would finally have that signature win and things on the flats could get really interesting. With that being said, there are just so many questions with this team and literally no answers. Maybe we will get some answers on Monday, September 5th in Atlanta, but until then, the questions will remain.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CLEMSON
It's no secret where the questions for the Tigers are. It starts at quarterback. Which DJU will show up in Atlanta? Will we see the one who lit Notre Dame up in South Bend two years ago or will we see the DJ from last year that struggled? Also well-documented are the Tigers' injuries last season. Every time they came off the field, it seemed like they were going to a triage unit instead of a sideline. Yet the Tigers managed to win 10 games for an almost unprecedented 11th straight year. For the first time in 7 years, however, Clemson missed the College Football Playoff. The outside noise from some is that Clemson is done; the dynasty run is over. Let me remind you that after Clemson throttled Alabama in California, the Tide missed the playoff the following year, but Saban's dynasty is still alive and kicking. After missing the playoff, Alabama returned the following year and won the National Championship. Could history repeat itself? The Tigers' defense is intact and could no doubt rival the Power Rangers of 2018. Some say this defense may end up being even better!
Offensively, the Tigers have got to stay healthy. The talent is there, and--like last season--the defense will give them a chance to win every game. Unlike last season, DJ must be accurate and consistent. And he must cut down on the interceptions with no pick-sixes in big games. The Tigers could have made the playoff if not for two critical pick-sixes against UGA and Pitt. The first may have been more on Ross than DJ, but the shovel-pass at Pitt was a total debacle. If DJ doesn't show major improvement early on, freshman Cade Klubnik is ready to go. And with an experienced 3-headed monster at running back, that will take a lot of pressure off whoever is under center. While a few questions remain on the offensive side of the ball, there are absolutely no questions about the defensive side of the ball. Even with Brent Venables gone, Wes Goodwin showed his chops in the bowl game against Iowa State. The Tigers' defense didn't miss a beat. Given that he has had a full off-season to further implement his style of play on defense, the Clemson offense may not have to do much for the Tigers to run the table and return to the College Football Playoff for a 7th time in 8 years.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN ATLANTA
Dabo and Clemson have heard all the outside noise all season, as stated above: the dynasty is over, Clemson is done. You know the names of all the talking heads that have jumped off the Clemson bandwagon. I get that both Venables and Elliott are gone, but the one consistent man on the sidelines is still there, and that's Dabo. This is the stuff he uses as motivation. Dabo has been a little bit edgy in his responses to the outside noise, and if we have learned anything about him through the years, a mad Dabo is going to cause issues for opponents.
This game doesn't bode well for Geoff Collins and the Yellow Jackets. Clemson will be able to write its score on a piece of paper, hang it in the locker room, and surpass it easily by 3 touchdowns. Whether or not Dabo chooses to do that remains to be seen. Even with Georgia Tech requesting the upper-deck to be closed off to keep Clemson from putting 60,000 fans in the stands, not only will the Tigers win the game on the field, but still will out-number Tech in the stands. It's a win-win for the Tigers all the way around. At the end of the night, the only question that should be left to answer is whether or not the No.4 ranking to start the season is justified.
I just wanted to give you an early taste to whet your appetite. As always, you can expect Trevor's weekly comprehensive game preview, What We Are Hearing, next week. My projected starting lineups for the Tigers and Jackets are below!
GT PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Offense
QB- Jeff Sims
Zach Gibson
Taisun Phommachanh
RB- Dontae Smith
Dylan Mcduffie
Receivers
X - Leo Blackburn
James Blackstrain
Z - Malachi Carter
Kalani Norris
S - Nate McCollum
Malik Rutherford
TE - Dylan Leonard
EJ Jenkins
Offensive Line
LT - Pierce Quick
Jakiah Leftwich
LG - RJ Adams
William Lay
C - Weston Franklin
Will Scissom
RG- Paul Tchio
Paula Vaipulu
RT - Jordan Williams
Jakiah Leftwich
Defense
DE - Kevin White
Kyle Kennard
DT - TK Chimedza
Zeek Biggers
LB - Charlie Thomas
Ayinde Eley
CB - Zamari Walton
Myles Sims
Nickel - Lamiles Brooks
Safety - Derrick Allen
Jaylen Kiing
CLEMSON PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Offense
QB - DJ Uiagalelei
Cade Klubnik
RB - Will Shipley
Kobe Pace
LT - Jordan McFadden
LG - Marcus Tate
C - Will Putnam
RG - Mitchell Mayes
RT - Walker Parks
TE - Davis Allen
Jake Briningstool
WR - Joseph Ngata - Boundary
Beaux Collins - Field
Brannon Spector - Slot
Special Teams
PK/Punter - BT Potter
KR - Will Shipley
PR - Will Taylor
Defense
DE - Myles Murphy
NT - Tyler Davis
DT - Bryan Bresee
DE - KJ Henry
WLB - Trenton Simpson
MLB - Jeremiah Trotter
SLB/Nickel - Barrett Carter
Malcolm Greene
CB - Sheridan Jones
CB - Nate Wiggins
SS - Andrew Mukuba
FS - Jayln Phillips
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