Georgia Tech vs. Clemson In Possible ACC Championship Preview

Written by Benton Vale

Friday, 20 October 2006

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson In Possible ACC Championship Preview Georgia Tech (5-1,3-0 ACC) needs a big performance from its Heisman Trophy candidate Calvin Johnson on Saturday night when the 13th ranked Yellow Jackets travel to Clemson, SC to take on the 12th ranked Clemson Tigers (6-1,3-1 ACC) at Memorial Stadium in front of a national television audience on ESPN. The matchup could be a preview of the Dec.2 ACC Football Championship Game in Jacksonville, Florida.

Calvin Johnson the All-America wide receiver for Georgia Tech is considered the best wide-out in NCAA Division 1-A but is a long shot to win the coveted trophy. The last time a wide receiver won the Heisman was 1991 when Michigan’s Desmond Howard walked off with the prize. Johnson has enhanced his chances over the past three games with 22 catches for 413 yards and five touchdowns all while facing constant double-teams and gimmick defenses from teams that know the ball is coming his way.

Versatile Tech senior quarterback Reggie Ball will have his hands full in trying to get the ball to Johnson and avoid Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams (6-5, 260) at the same time. Adams leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks with 7 ½ and is a major reason why Clemson is fourth nationally in total defense and 11th in scoring defense.

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Clemson is looking for its first ACC title since 1991, while Georgia Tech hasn’t won the conference crown since 1998. The Yellow Jackets’ last outright ACC championship came in 1990, the same year they won a share of the national championship.

This is the first matchup where both teams are ranked since 1991, when No.7 Clemson beat No.19 Georgia Tech 9-7. It’s only the second meeting of top 13 teams in the 64-year history of Memorial Stadium.

Clemson won four straight in this series from 1993-96 before Georgia Tech posted four consecutive wins. The Tigers came back with three victories in a row from 2001-03, but the Yellow Jackets have won the last two meetings, including a 10-9 victory in Atlanta last season. Georgia Tech leads the series 45-23-2.

Clemson is favored by a –7,5 point chalk with a total of 47. The Tigers are 2-2 against the spread (ATS) in ACC games, covering +4 versus Florida State and –15 to North Carolina but losing the cover –14 on the road at Wake Forest and –1 at Boston College.

Georgia Tech is 2-1 ATS versus ACC competition, covering –16 against Virginia and +8.5 at Virginia Tech. In their last game the Yellow Jackets failed to cover –14.5 versus Maryland but winning straight up 27-23. Georgia Tech scored big covering +4.5 versus Notre Dame in its season opener, September 2nd.

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