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Nov 11, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Beaux Collins (80) runs near Georgia Tech defensive back Rodney Shelley (17) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech Gets Prediction To Be The First Team To Hand Clemson A Loss in 2025

Originally posted on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Clemson is the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC in 2025. The Tigers got 167 first-place votes in the ACC preseason media poll and have the preseason ACC Player of the Year, Cade Klubnik. The Tigers are going to come to Atlanta during week three and face Georgia Tech in what is going to be one of the biggest games of that weekend. This is a possible top 25 matchup, and if both teams handle their week one tests (Georgia Tech faces Colorado, Clemson faces LSU), it could be bigger than that.

While the Tigers are favored in the game, the Yellow Jackets are seen as a threat, and CBS Sports analyst Emory Hunt is predicting Georgia Tech as the team that will give Clemson its first loss of the season:

"Clemson is favored to win the ACC this fall but could stumble as early as Week 3 in Atlanta. Georgia Tech, which upset Miami late last season and pushed Georgia to eight overtimes in Athens, returns quarterback Haynes King, star running back Jamal Haynes and rising wide receiver Malik Rutherford.

"Clemson will not win the ACC," Hunt said. "Georgia Tech will win the ACC. I love how Georgia Tech played against all their big opponents last year. Brent Key does a great job getting his team ready to play.

"Haynes King is the best quarterback in the ACC. Georgia Tech will hand Clemson its first loss. We'll see a rematch of the two in the ACC title game. That one will be box office."

This game is not only one of the biggest games in the ACC, but one of the biggest in the country. In an episode of Josh Pate's College Football Show, Pate talked about the importance of this game and had it as one of the ten best games of the season:

“As you know, I am very high on Georgia Tech. Think about this, it is only week 3, but Clemson has played LSU, not in a conference game, but they have already played. If Clemson won that game, then everybody is hyping them up as a national championship contender even more so than they already are,” said Pate. “Georgia Tech has already played Colorado. We don’t necessarily know what that will look like. Georgia Tech will be a short favorite in that one, I would imagine. This right here is where, if Georgia Tech is going to be a player, we may find out.

They don’t necessarily need to beat Clemson. Remember Georgia Tech last year? They beat Miami at home. They took Georgia to half a dozen overtimes. They lost to Syracuse by three. I think they lost a couple of games without Haynes King. I think that team was better last year than their record indicated. I think they are a dark horse player for a playoff spot this year. If I am right about that, we will start to find out in that week 3 game.”

With a win, Georgia Tech would instantly become a favorite to make it to Charlotte for the ACC Championship. It will be a big day in Atlanta as they try to defeat Clemson for the first time since 2014.

This article first appeared on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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