NCAA Analyst Predicts Lopsided Clemson Tigers Victory in Week 2

As we head into Week 2, will the Clemson Tigers be able to bounce back with a big win?

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks with media after the 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Ken Ruinard - Imagn Images

After an embarrassing loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 1, the Clemson Tigers are going to be aiming to get their first win of the season at home against Appalachian State. 

It was a tough loss in Week 1 for the Tigers. While they were big underdogs against the Bulldogs, it was more about the way they lost compared to the loss itself. Only scoring three points and looking incompetent on offense for most of the game was not what people wanted to see after the offensive season that Clemson had last year. 

While the offense was really poor for the Tigers, the defense did perform well for quite some time against Carson Beck and the Georgia offense. The defensive unit should be good for Clemson this season, but they will need their offense to help them out a bit. 

In Week 2, the Tigers will be hosting App State in their home-opener. Clemson is coming into the game as a big favorite, as expectations are that they are going to bounce back. 

Recently, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report predicted a big bounce back for the Tigers in Week 2. 

“Clemson, unsurprisingly, did not beat Georgia in Atlanta. But it's fair to say Clemson fans hoped for a more dangerous day from an offense that struggled in 2023. App State won't be an easy opponent, although Clemson should be able to leave its home opener with a victory.”

“Prediction: Clemson 34, App State 13”

Week 2 will be an interesting test for Clemson in many ways. Georgia is expected to be one of the best teams in the country and while the loss was an ugly one, it was just one game and there could be some overreaction to it. 

However, what was really concerning for the Tigers had to be the play of the offense. Cade Klubnik was not great in 2023, and he struggled in Week 1. Klubnik is now in his third season, and this feels like a make-or-break year for him as a junior. If he doesn’t take a step forward, Clemson isn’t going anywhere this year. 

In the Week 2 matchup against App State, Clemson might be in for a tougher matchup than they think. This App State team scored 38 points in Week 1 against Eastern Michigan and quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for over 300 yards. 

On paper, it certainly looks like App State has the edge on the offensive side of the ball, and we will have to see if the unit for Clemson can bounce back from last week. If they can’t, Clemson should be on upset watch.