Virginia Tech vs Clemson – Preview and Prediction
CLEMSON 10 VIRGINIA TECH (58)
MEGALOCKS LINE – Clemson -10 Sagarin ratings – Clemson -11
“Vegas” Implied Projected Score: Clemson 34 Virginia Tech 24 (whoa)
Massey Ratings Projected Score: Clemson 34 Virginia Tech 24 (whoa)
The Game
Whoa Nellie ! Clemson and Virginia Tech have a combined record of 20-4 (!) and go at it on Saturday night for the ACC Championship. Clemson has playoff aspirations and the Hokies are looking to make the best bowl possible after a very impressive 9-3 campaign.
The Match-Up
Clemson offense vs Virginia Tech defense
This is going to be a huge challenge for the Hokies’ defense. They survived a date with Notre Dame on the road, but we still believe that the only way to move the ball on them consistently is with a mobile QB. Enter D Watson. Yes, it may appear that he has put on 190 pounds in the offseason, but he is still a threat to run and has a plethora of deadly targets to use in the passing game. RB Wayne Gallman has not been as effective as we would have hoped, but we think that the threat of the run game (Watson, Gallman) combined with the threat in the passing game is going to be too much pressure over the span of four quarters. The Virginia Tech defense is ranked #19 in the FBS but they have given up 30+ points in 4 of the last 7 games. We see the Hokies having a lot of trouble with the Tigers’ offense.
Virginia Tech offense vs Clemson defense
This is going to be a big challenge for QB Jerod Evans. The Hokies’ QB has been excellent all season with a 26-5 TD to INT ratio. He is also the teams’ leading rusher. The Clemson defense is ranked #8 in the FBS and #7 pass efficiency defense. The Hokies are going to have trouble moving the ball on the Tigers’ stop unit. The Clemson defense has been a rock all season unless facing top tier offenses. The Hokies are not quite in that class.
MEGA-MAZING MINUTIA
The under is 18-7 in the Hokies’ last 25 conference games….The last time these two teams met was in 2012 and the Tigers won at home 38-17.
Summary
This game looks pretty well lined. The Hokies have a shot to keep this one close. There is no doubt about that. It just seems to us that if you had to make a play on the team with the more experienced team and the better defense then Clemson has to be your play.
Conclusion
Official play: None.
Lean: Slightest of slight leanages to Clemson -10 or better. This appears to be one of the toughest games on the board.