Paw Predictions: No. 1 Clemson vs. Virginia
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No. 1 Clemson is in Death Valley coming off the bye to take on the Virginia Cavaliers, and the Tigers are currently a 28.8 point favorite. Our predictions will come out later today. but you can see how some of the national media is viewing this game below.
The last time they met:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMlO3N3khBI
247 Sports, 45-20 Clemson/38-10 Clemson
Hummer: Picking these Clemson lines is always a toss-up. Generally, I lean toward the Tigers failing to cover given how quick Dabo Swinney is to pull his starters. I feel even better about that this week against a Virginia team that looked great in its season debut Duke. I don’t think this is close, but the Cavs stay within shouting distance. … Clemson 45, Virginia 20.
Crawford: It must get exhausting for Dabo Swinney, heading into each conference game as a four-touchdown favorite and being forced to rally the troops inside the locker room as if the Tigers have a chance at going down each week in the ACC. These guys haven't lost a matchup with a conference opponent since 2017 and Saturday's tilt vs. Virginia should be another one-sided affair. Clemson's defense will be its calling card in this one. ... Clemson 38, Virginia 10.
What they said:
With 5:51 left in the third quarter last Saturday, Duke scored a touchdown to go ahead of Virginia 20-17. From that point on, the Blue Devils threw three interceptions, fumbled twice, and turned the ball over on downs. Clemson will not be that careless with the ball this weekend. The first-team Clemson offense has been dominant so far this year, scoring 76 first-half points in two games. The Tigers won't be quite as successful vs. Virginia, but they will score a good amount. Plus, Virginia will not be able to run on Clemson's defense, forcing Brennan Armstrong into obvious pass situations where coordinator Brent Venables can provide all kinds of different looks. Once again, the Tigers will take control early and cruise to a victory.
What they said:
To me, this pick -- not the game, but the pick -- comes down to Virginia's offensive line. That group has come a long way since it was a glaring weakness at times for the Wahoos offense, where Bryce Perkins' athleticism and escapability was not only a feature but a necessity for success. They are an experienced group in 2020, and the success they had against Duke suggests it's improved in a way that makes running the offense a little bit easier for new starter Brennan Armstrong. But Duke's defensive line is not Clemson's defensive line, and if Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee and the rest of that group dominate like they did against Wake Forest, it will be difficult to get any kind of rhythm going on offense or extend drives to keep the ball out of Trevor Lawrence's hands. It might not be another 42-point win, but I feel pretty good about Clemson winning that position battle, Lawrence having 3-4 total touchdowns, and the Tigers winning by at least 30. Pick: Clemson (-28)
College Football News, 45-17 Clemson
Virginia isn’t going to get steamrolled.
Clemson will be in control from the start, but Virginia will be just plucky enough to make everyone try in the second half.
Virginia’s O will come up with a few nice scoring drives, but not enough of them in the second half.