ESPN analyst, former Georgia standout believes Clemson runs table to ACC title game

ESPN analyst and former Georgia standout Aaron Murray sees Cade Klubnik leading Clemson to plenty of success.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Wednesday, September 04 2024

Quarterbacks usually know a thing or two. Aaron Murray certainly fits that bill.

The former Georgia quarterback, now an ESPN analyst, has caught the attention of college football fans with his analysis of Clemson’s matchup with the Bulldogs.

His podcast Snaps broke down Cade Klubnik’s film and the Clemson offense as a whole. While the box score indicated disaster, Murray believes there were some positive takeaways and the need for growth.

Murray recently joined the Orange Crush Podcast to break down just this, as well as recognizing the tall task that is playing Georgia’s defense.

“They were going up against maybe the best defense in the country," Murray said. “Let’s absorb that real quick. It was a neutral site, but I’m willing to guess there were more Georgia fans than Clemson fans. You have a pseudo-away game against an elite defense that might have the best defensive end for the NFL Draft in Mykel Williams, the number one safety in Malaki Starks, and a bunch of first-rounders across the board.”

Murray emphasized Georgia's talent across the board, and the former quarterback also explained the difficulty of dissecting a Kirby Smart defense.

“This was no easy task,” Murray said. “In addition to the talent, they are playing against a complicated defense. Kirby (Smart) does so much on that side of the football pre and post-snap. Quarterbacks are going to get confused, and when that happens, the first place you notice it is with their feet. You saw that at times with Klubnik. I anticipate that will be better because I don’t anticipate Clemson facing a Georgia-level defense for quite some time, if at all.”

With games finally being played and results on the scoreboard telling several stories, Murray’s assertions on the Clemson schedule may be accurate.

The Georgia result might have created some issues on the outside, but Murray believes the Tiger offense should stay the course given the road ahead.

“To me, they (Clemson) should stick to their guns,” Murray said. “Knowing the rest of the schedule has App State, an overrated NC State, and Florida State is no longer very good. You have Wake Forest and Louisville; when you look at the schedule, they should be 11-1. To me, the ACC is overrated this year. You are better than South Carolina. Tell me on that schedule where the loss is? At the end of the year, you will look at Clemson, and they will be 11-1 and playing in the ACC Championship.”

With Florida State having quickly fallen apart and teams like Virginia Tech still finding answers, the door very well may be open for Clemson.

For the Tigers, the home opener will be all about the bounce back.

Murray believes Clemson is much better than one game would indicate. Time will tell if his predictions come to pass.