How tough is Clemson’s schedule — and who wins the Georgia game? ACC pundits weigh in

Alexis Cubit
·8 min read
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Clemson’s season opener against Georgia is undoubtedly the Tigers’ biggest game of the regular season. It also happens to be the first game of the year.

With expectations high for both teams, the Sept. 4 contest will likely be a battle of two top 10 squads once the preseason polls come out.

ACC Network analysts Roddy Jones, Eric Mac Lain and EJ Manuel are all former Atlantic Coast Conference players who talked to The State about Clemson’s 2021 schedule and the importance of that first game against Georgia.

NOTE: Some answers have been edited for clarity and length.

About Clemson’s 2021 schedule

—— What are your thoughts on and projections for Clemson’s schedule this season? ——

Roddy Jones, ACC Network analyst and former Georgia Tech running back: “Obviously, Georgia is the one that everybody’s got circled, and South Carolina at the end of the year. You’ve got those two SEC opponents that are much different. (Against) Georgia, (Clemson) could very well go out and play well and lose to Georgia, but a win against Georgia, I think, kind of solidifies or propels them maybe much more than certainly a loss would. I expect the Georgia one to be the biggest of the year, obviously.

The ACC’s going to be really good from top to bottom, I think. N.C. State, I think they’re good, so it’s not going to be a cake walk certainly, but starting with Georgia gives them an opportunity to see where you are at the beginning of the year, right out of the gate what you need to improve.”

Eric Mac Lain, ACC Network analyst and former Clemson offensive lineman: “I think outside of Georgia, it is a lackluster schedule, especially the home games. Heard a lot of fans complaining about that and the teams that they play, but in the ACC, you never know. Someone could get hot and that schedule could look a lot better come mid-November or mid-October, so it’s going to be interesting to see, but I don’t think there’s any question. Clemson has their eyes on the prize and a perfect season is what they always strive for.”

EJ Manuel, ACC Network analyst and former Florida State quarterback: “When you look at Clemson top to bottom, I feel like they’re one of those teams, similar to Alabama in the SEC or Oklahoma in the Big 12, that each year they bring in a new crop of guys. And I think when you talk college football, it’s hard to get that consistent flow of players because you’ve got guys that play three years and go to the NFL. I feel like Clemson, they have those guys, but they also have guys that have been there for a really long time like James Skalski and (Nolan) Turner, those guys that are coming back on the defensive side of the football.

I think it’s going to be another one of those years where it’s Clemson, possibly everyone else. But again, I think this year in the ACC, there’s some other quarterbacks that can obviously go out there and compete against them, too, so I’m excited to see because I know Clemson’s going to have a great defensive line. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.”

Here’s the 2021 schedule for the Tigers. ESPN’s Football Power Index says the schedule is the 51st hardest in the country.

  • Sept. 4 vs. Georgia (at Charlotte), 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

  • Sept. 11 vs. South Carolina State, 5 p.m. (ACC Network)

  • Sept. 18 vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN or ABC)

  • Sept. 25 at N.C. State

  • Oct. 2 vs. Boston College

  • Oct. 15 at Syracuse, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

  • Oct. 23 at Pittsburgh

  • Oct. 30 vs. Florida State

  • Nov. 6 at Louisville

  • Nov. 13 vs. Connecticut

  • Nov. 20 vs. Wake Forest

  • Nov. 27 at South Carolina

About the Clemson vs Georgia game

Clemson opens the season against Georgia in what will be a top 10, if not top 5, matchup. With that in mind, do you think there are any College Football Playoff implications for this game?

Jones: “I actually am on the other side where I don’t think it has much bearing at all on the College Football Playoff, as long as it’s a close game on either side. ... If Clemson loses a close game to Georgia and wins out, then they’re in the playoffs. If Georgia loses a close game to Clemson and wins (out), they’re in the playoffs. Either way, I think that happens, so I think it’s more a measuring stick of where you need to be at the end of the year. The winner’s going to obviously be able to evaluate themselves against College Football Playoff potential talent and then the loser can do the same. I think more than anything, it’s a barometer game more than a college football playoff implication game.”

Mac Lain: “I think it’s so early that whatever happens, happens. If Clemson goes undefeated, they’re still going to be in after that game. If Georgia wins every game but that game, they’re still going to be in. It will paint us a nice picture and we will be able to tell early and often — OK, is Clemson a contender or are they a pretender? Is Georgia a contender or are they a pretender? So, it certainly will give us a nice gauge, but I don’t think by any stretch it has more than that in terms of implications.”

Manuel: “As a player, I never tried to let one game quantify our season, and I don’t necessarily think that game is going to make or break Clemson’s year. If they go out and play well and they win, awesome, and if they don’t play well, they’re competitive and it’s a close game, awesome as well. Of course, they don’t want to lose it but I think that people need to understand that it’s a 12-game season and one game doesn’t necessarily make or break your season, especially early in the year like this.

I do think it’ll be a good barometer check to see where Clemson’s at compared to a Georgia football team, so I’m excited because most of the time, you see these guys play these smaller schools, cupcake games, kind of boring. But it’s going to be one of those game where it’s like, OK, this is like a national championship level type of game, type of experience, type of, you know, there’s going to be NFL guys out there. A bunch of NFL players on both sides of the football, so if they go in with that aspect and understand that hey, this is a big game but it’s not the only game. It’s going to be fun.”

—— What are your thoughts on, and predictions for, the Clemson-Georgia game? ——

Jones: “I don’t know. It’s strength on strength. Like, Georgia’s offense is going to be good and then obviously Clemson’s defense is loaded. I think it’s going to come down to the other two: Clemson’s offense against Georgia’s defense.

I’ll say Clemson’s going to win because it plays better, but I would expect it to be a great game. I think the big questions that need to be answered are, who is Clemson going to be offensively? So many new faces, so many new names. How does that evolve? And then on the Georgia side, how do you replace all that you’ve lost on defense? You’ve got to replace an entire secondary and they get some help. Derion Kendrick certainly helps, but defensively, as talented as they are, much like Clemson on offense, you have to have guys proven on the field, so that’s going to be the biggest question.”

Mac Lain: “It’s going to be exciting and I can tell you from experience, when you play those teams first, there’s a little bit more sense of urgency. There’s a little bit more excitement just going into it other than playing an FCS team or a low-caliber team, and it’s going to be there all camp long for Clemson. Again, that game is here. It’s coming. It’s a national championship type of game, so it’s going to be one that everyone is not going to want to miss. ...

I think the Tigers win and I think it might even be comfortably. I think they’re that good of a team, all the experience they have coming back, but again, Georgia (is) a fantastic team. A lot of expectations on them. Quarterback play should be fantastic. Two California kids playing on the East Coast, so of course I’m going to say the Tigers win it, but it could get interesting or I think it could get a little one-sided.”

Manuel: “I think they match up very well. They are two great quarterbacks. JT Daniels is a guy who I thought should’ve played more last year at Georgia but considering he probably had some injuries that he’s recovering from and getting used to the offense and things like that, but when he got in, he was lethal. He was dangerous, so I think that’s obviously something Clemson is going to have to be prepared for. ...

We all know the kinds of defenses that Clemson’s had in the past five years, five or six seasons, so I think it’s an evenly-matched game. Again, it’s just going to come down to, when you have two really good, talented teams, it comes down to who holds the ball the most. Who doesn’t turn it over? If you don’t turn it over, you’re probably going to have the best chance to score points. That’s usually who’s probably going to end up winning the football game.”