Clemson gets Senior Day and its final ACC home game of 2026 on Saturday, and the Tigers walk into it as a pretty clear favorite over Georgia Tech.
The matchup is set for 12:30 p.m. on The CW, with Clemson laying 13.5 points according to the VegasInsider.com consensus line. That’s a bigger number than the Tigers have seen against a Power 4 opponent all season; their previous high was three points against UNC and Virginia Tech. ESPN analytics gives Clemson an 84.3% chance to win.
The injury report matters here, too. Clemson will be without starting center Harris Sewell, who is dealing with an ankle injury, and starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon, who has been ruled out again after missing last week with a concussion. The Tigers also listed starting running back Gideon Davidson and slot receiver Tyler Brown as questionable, both with ankle injuries.
Georgia Tech is dealing with a much longer list. The Yellow Jackets have 19 players out and three more questionable, including receiver and return man Rahkeem Smith and 6-foot-9 tight end Kevin Roche Jr.
AccuWeather’s forecast points to a cool day in Clemson, with a morning high of 51 degrees and an afternoon high of 56. Rain is not expected.
Clemson may not look like a juggernaut right now - the Tigers are tied for last nationally in passing touchdowns, and their defense and special teams have outscored the offense - but the matchup still tilts heavily in their favor. Georgia Tech is in rough shape, having lost 11 of its last 14 games after starting 8-0 and 5-0 in the ACC in 2025. The Yellow Jackets are last among the 17 ACC teams with a 1-5 conference record, and they’ve given up 34, 49, 34 and 44 points over their last four games.
Dabo Swinney said Georgia Tech was playing with “nothing to lose,” and that feels about right. Brent Key’s group could get a lift from firing four coaches midseason, but the more likely outcome is the version Clemson has seen from the Yellow Jackets all year: skill-position talent, shaky quarterback play and a defense that has been too easy to move on.
Clemson comes in off back-to-back ACC road wins and has enough going for it at home to handle business, especially with Georgia Tech ranked No. 136 against the run and quarterback Tait Reynolds dangerous with his legs. Still, this doesn’t look like the kind of game that turns into a runaway.
Score prediction: Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 13
2026 Clemson football schedule
Sept. 5: at No. 11 LSU, L 51-10
Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern, W 22-7
Sept. 19: vs. UNC, W 28-20
Sept. 25 (Friday): at Cal, W, 24-10
Oct. 3: vs. No. 4 Miami, L 41-13
Oct. 10: OPEN
Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern, W 37-0
Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech, L 20-16
Oct. 31: at Florida State, W 36-24
Nov. 7: at Syracuse, W 18-13
Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech, 12:30 p.m. (The CW)
Nov. 20 (Friday): at Duke, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Nov. 28: vs. No. 17 South Carolina
In Other News...
Rare FAA Shutdown Put A Major South Carolina Sports Weekend On Edge
A rare nationwide FAA ground stoppage briefly put one of South Carolinas biggest sports weekends in an uneasy holding pattern, with departing flights delayed across the country because of a telecommunications error tied to safety concerns. The most immediate impact in the Palmetto State centered on the womens basketball showdown in Greenville, where No. 3 Southern Cal was grounded in Los Angeles on its way to face No. 1 South Carolina.
For Clemson fans following the broader state sports scene, the good news was that the disruption did not spill over to the football programs. South Carolina football and Clemson football were not affected, with their travel either completed before the stoppage or handled by bus, leaving the airline mess to hover around the basketball spotlight instead of turning into a wider college-sports headache. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Walks Into A Dangerous Spot Before Georgia
With bowl eligibility already secured and a winning streak still building, South Carolina is trying to keep its attention on the next step rather than the bigger picture. Players and coaches have spent the week talking through the idea of a trap game ahead of Arkansas, a label that can creep into a locker room whenever a team starts looking past an opponent and toward what comes next.
The message from the staff has been to stay locked in on improvement and on the challenge Arkansas brings, not on the temptation to treat this one as a formality. For a team with College Football Playoff hopes still in the conversation, the margin for a slip is thin, and South Carolina knows the danger in letting a manageable spot turn into the kind of game that changes the feel of a season. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Fans Have One Reason To Watch South Carolina This Week
South Carolina heads into its matchup with Arkansas carrying real momentum, having won four straight conference games and looking like a team that has started to find its footing in November. For Clemson fans, the interest is obvious even if the rivalry game is still a few weeks away: the Gamecocks are playing with confidence, and the way they handle this stretch says plenty about the challenge waiting on the other side of the state line.
The biggest storyline remains LaNorris Sellers and the health of his ankle, because South Carolinas ceiling rises and falls with how mobile and effective he can be. The defense has also taken a noticeable step forward, giving the Gamecocks a sturdier foundation as they chase a fifth straight conference win. Add in the history between these programs and the fact that this one will be easy to find on the broadcast schedule, and Clemson fans have a perfectly good reason to keep one eye on Columbia this week. [Read more 🡒]