Final thoughts, predictions as Clemson faces Virginia in ACC Championship
Clemson is favored by 28.5 points entering Saturday’s ACC Championship game, a number that is high but understandable with the way the Tigers have played lately.
Clemson has won six consecutive games by at least 31 points, covering the spread in each game, with the exception of FCS opponent Wofford.
The Tigers should be able to score early and often against a Virginia defense that has struggled against the pass for the second half of the year without All-American cornerback Bryce Hall, who is out for the season with an injury.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross have been hitting their stride as of late, and that should continue against a Cavaliers secondary that allowed more than 300 passing yards each of the past two weeks.
The Cavaliers have been winning games by outscoring teams recently as they went 4-0 in November but allowed at least 27 points in each game.
Outscoring Clemson will not be easy, though. The Tigers have yet to allow an opponent to reach 300 yards of offense in a game this season, and while Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins is the most dynamic QB the Tigers have faced this season, the Cavaliers don’t have much help for him.
Don’t be surprised if Tigers linebacker Isaiah Simmons spies Perkins. The junior is the best defender on Clemson’s team and arguably the best in the country. UVA expects Clemson to spy Perkins and will draw up a game plan to try to exploit that, but the likelihood of them being able to do so isn’t very high.
College GameDay analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard all picked the Tigers to win, with Corso and Howard saying they expect the Cavaliers to cover the spread. Herbstreit didn’t make a pick against the spread but said he thinks Clemson wins its fifth consecutive ACC title.
“I think Virginia has a shot… They’re a balanced football team. They’re highly underrated,” Corso said. “They could sneak up on them. And they’re hot. They’re 4-0 in the month of November. Clemson’s a 28-point favorite. That’s a lot of points.”
Added Howard: “(Virginia) is my super dog. Clemson’s going to win the game. They probably should be the No. 1 team in the country, but I think UVA is going to put out a challenge. (Clemson) won’t win by four touchdowns but Clemson wins.”
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 12:30 PM.
