The top program in the ACC will meet a suddenly red-hot SEC school when Clemson hosts South Carolina on Saturday during rivalry week to close out the 2022 season. Spencer Rattler is fresh off of a six-touchdown outing against the former fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, who also saw its quarterback, Hendon Hooker, suffer a non-contact lower-body injury. Rattler and head coach Shane Beamer have been a volatile crew all year, winning several games by double-digit margins with at least 50 points, while coming out flat in other games with seemingly no answer on offense.
Clemson will be ready for the challenge as they prepare to make a run into the College Football Playoff under 15th-year head coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers possess one of the most stout defenses in all of college football right now, despite being without long-time DC Brett Venables, who now leads as Oklahoma's head coach down in Norman, Oklahoma. The Tigers' defense is ranked 28th out of 131 programs, holding opponents to 20 points per game this season, including 26 combined points during wins against Louisville and Miami (FL) these past two weeks.
Junior quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has been solid for the most part, but there have been a couple of disappointing outings. He's more effective with his feet, navigating the pocket to buy time for his wide receivers, or taking off and creating a play downfield with his big-bodied frame and vision. Uigalelei is similar to Rattler in terms of talent that tends to wane, which is dangerous entering a rivalry game against a South Carolina offense that just woke up against a previously ranked top-five team.
Can the Tigers defend their home turf? Or will Rattler and the Gameco*cks send Clemson home with its second loss of the season and eliminate their College Football Playoff hopes? Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Saturday's ACC/SEC rivalry game between the South Carolina Gameco*cks vs. Clemson Tigers.
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Clemson vs. South Carolina Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, November 26th
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ABC
Clemson vs. South Carolina Odds
- Spread: South Carolina +14.5 (-110), Clemson -14.5 (-110)
- Total: Under 50 (-105), Over 50 (-115)
- Moneyline: South Carolina (+480), Clemson (-645)
Click here for Clemson vs. South Carolina Odds
Clemson vs. South Carolina Injury Report
South Carolina
RB Marshawn Lloyd (Questionable - Quadricep), DE Terrell Dawkins (Questionable - Undisclosed), RB Christian Beal-Smith (Questionable - Undisclosed), LB Mohamed Kaba (Out - Knee)
Clemson
WR Beaux Collins (Day to Day - Shoulder), WR Will Taylor (Day to Day - Knee), CB Malcolm Greene (Out - Groin), DE Xavier Thomas (Out - Undisclosed)
Clemson vs. South Carolina Prediction
South Carolina's second-year head coach Shane Beamer has led the Gameco*cks to seven wins to start his tenure, landing Spencer Rattler via the transfer portal from Oklahoma following Lincoln Riley's departure to USC with Caleb Williams. Rattler has been responsible for some massive games and a few big wins, but none have been bigger than a 63-38 home win over the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 12. Rattler was excellent, completing 81 percent of his pass attempts for 438 yards and six passing touchdowns, lighting up a talented Tennesee defense. Rattler popped against Vanderbilt with three touchdowns but with only 186 yards, while reaching 377 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas earlier in the year.
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Gameco*cks running back Marshawn Lloyd is questionable heading into this road game against Clemson due to a quadricep injury, which is concerning since he's South Carolina's definitive RB1. Averaging over 5.6 YPC and collecting 11 total touchdowns this season, Lloyd's presence in the backfield is necessary to balance the offense, allowing Rattler and his passing weapons to reach their full potential as we saw in Week 12. It was the rushing attack that helped against the Vols, as the Gameco*cks attempted 38 carries and churned out 4.0 YPC with three rushing touchdowns to pile on top of the six thrown by Rattler.
Clemson's defense, conversely, will be one of the toughest matchups for the Gameco*cks this season. Yes, the SEC is arguably the best conference among all of the Power 5 schools, but the Tigers have a defense that ranks 24th in terms of points allowed while yielding the 28th-ranked scoring offense with over 34 points per game. Clemson has allowed only one passing touchdown in each of its previous four games, including a 35-14 loss to Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago. The run defense is just as stout, holding the ball carrier to under 3.5 YPC and eight total rushing touchdowns this season. Only one team, Louisville, has logged over 100 passing yards in November, while the Tigers' defense has forced four turnovers in its last two games played.
When Rattler and the Gameco*cks face off against good defenses like Florida, Missouri, and Georgia, they cannot manufacture yards or points. In all three games, Rattler was held under 215 passing yards and only one touchdown per outing, resulting in three lopsided losses. This saw the running game also dry up, averaging less than 2.0 YPC, while only finding success against the Razorbacks with three touchdowns. Clemson's defensive front is going to handle that part of Beamer's offense, which means Rattler will need another five to six touchdowns against a lock-down secondary.
The Tigers have won five consecutive games against the Gameco*cks, but they haven't hosted this rivalry since 2018. Clemson is 3-3 ATS at home, while South Carolina is .500 at 2-2 ATS on the road this season. The spread is large, favoring the Tigers by 14.5-points, but Clemson has played well at home, winning by at least 15 points in its previous two home games. Rattler is a new face in this rivalry but the Gameco*cks were routed 30-0 in Columbia last year while covering as 25.5-point underdogs at Clemson back in 2018. The Tigers are driven by their playoff ambition and won't be stopped by South Carolina's 79th-ranked defense at home on Saturday. Take the Tigers to cover the 14.5-point spread en route to a berth in the ACC Championship game.
Clemson vs. South Carolina Pick
- Clemson -14.5 (-110) Bet $100 to collect $190. BetMGM has the best odds, click here to bet
