Clemson-Georgia Tech: The Best Matchups

From Georgia Tech quarterbacks vs. Clemson's defensive line to a running back vs. a linebacker to head coach against head coach, here are three matchups to watch Saturday.

No. 6 Clemson hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium with the Tigers heavily favored to move to 2-1 on the season. 

But the game isn't played in spreads or on paper. It's about matchups. Here's a look at three of those: position vs. position, player vs. player and coach vs. coach:

GT quarterbacks vs. Clemson defensive line

The Yellow Jackets' coaching staff has opted to play coy with how its starting quarterback Saturday will be: Jeff Sims or Jordan Yates? Sims got banged up in the first game, and Yates has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 389 yards and five touchdowns since. The Tigers don't have a clue which one they'll get, but they do know they're going to face a GT offensive line that's allowed seven sacks in two games. Clemson's front will win that matchup with ease, so the element to watch is how quickly either Sims or Yates gets rid of the football before Myles Murphey, Bryan Bresee and company can get to them. This matchup alone could decide the outcome.

James Skalski vs. Jahmyr Gibbs

While the line is putting pressure on the quarterbacks, Clemson's star linebacker who leads the team in tackles draws a tough matchup with one of the ACC's top running backs and all-purpose players. Gibbs has 155 yards rushing, 61 receiving and 104 returning kickoffs. He's averaging 5.4 yards per run and is a legit threat against any defense. Skalski has tackled some of the best running backs in college football for what feels like a decade, so he's up to the challenge, but it'll be a fun battle to watch if Skalski is picked to key in on Gibbs. 

Dabo Swinney vs. Geoff Collins

This isn't as much about Xs and Os as it is about two head coaches trying to send statements. Go back to 2019, Clemson didn't seem to appreciate GT in Collins' first game using the sideline to get a pre-game weight lifting session in. The Tigers rolled the Yellow Jackets 52-14. Last year, Clemson pounded the home team 73-7. Collins appears to be so far behind that Swinney that if the Tiger coach actually did ever look in the rearview mirror, he'd never see the GT leader. Will Collins finally show signs of closing the gap in a rivalry that's been so one-sided? Or will the embarrassments continue? It could depend on how well these coaches motivate their teams.