Tigers face tall task in talented Georgia to open the season

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As we mentioned in Sunday’s article, the college football season (Clemson style) gets underway this week when head coach Dabo Swinney hosts his annual media day at the Reeves Football Complex.

That means it’s time to start examining the season, the game, and the positional units and making some predictions as we head into what we think might be a wild and woolly 2024 season.

Clemson opens with Georgia, so we will also get it started with the Bulldogs, a high noon kickoff in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31st.

The consensus heading into that game is that the Bulldogs will win. Most will think Georgia wins big and, indeed, will likely be a double-digit favorite at kickoff. The last time the Tigers were two-touchdown underdogs was the Florida State game in 2012 – the Tigers entered that contest 14.5-point dogs and lost 49-37. Double-digit underdogs? To Georgia (10) in 2014 (also a Georgia win).

Georgia is currently a 13.5-point favorite.

Let’s take a quick look at the Bulldogs, who have an interesting schedule. They open up with Clemson and face Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss, all on the road.

The Bulldogs lost edge Marvin Jones (FSU) to the portal but added running back Trevor Etienne (Fla.), tight end Benjamin Yurosek (Stanford), and Miami receiver Colbie Young.

The offense starts with quarterback Carson Beck, who is coming off one of the most prolific passing seasons in school history.

Georgia got huge news in January when Beck elected to return for another season, giving the Bulldogs one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football. Beck is coming off one of the most prolific passing seasons in school history and has plenty of weapons. He threw for 3,495 yards last season with 22 touchdowns against six interceptions. He won’t have Ladd McConkey or tight end Brock Browers, but still has exciting talent surrounding him.

Senior slot receiver Dominic Lovett showed out during the spring, and fifth-year receiver Arian Smith coupled with Young, the Miami transfer, to give the Bulldogs plenty of hope. At running back, Etienne looks to be the guy.

The light came on for Smith, and Young also had a huge showing during spring drills. Georgia is also excited about Etienne. He brings an element to the offense that was missing last season and will team with Branson Robinson and Broderick Robinson to form a deep running backs room.

The offensive line brings back four starters, with left tackle Earnest Greene Jr. looking to build on an All-SEC redshirt freshman campaign. Jared Wilson is the heir apparent to Sedrick Van Pran at center, with some already mentioning Tate Ratledge as a possible All-American candidate at right guard.

Xavier Truss will likely start at right tackle, and Dylan Fairchild and Micah Morris will battle for snaps at left guard. Former Clemson target Monroe Freeling will also throw his name into the mix.

Stalwarts Nazri Stackhouse and Warren Brinson will man the middle of the Bulldog defensive line, and Mykel Williams is transitioning from the defensive line to more of a stand-up outside linebacker role in his third season with the team. Smael Mondon Jr. is back for his senior season and will be accompanied by Jalon Walker, CJ Allen, and Raylen Wilson to add depth in the middle.

The secondary has to replace three starters, but a kid that Clemson really wanted in KJ Bolden should be an early starter. Punter Brett Thorson and kicker Peyton Woodring are back and give the Bulldogs a solid kicking game.

To summarize, this team is deep and talented. There is a reason they will be in the mix at the end of the season and are picked by many to win it all. After all, this team has as many National Championships as it does losses over the last three seasons.

In Clemson’s favor, the Tigers will throw out an improved offensive line and a better receiving corps. The Bulldogs haven’t seen freshmen Bryant Wesco or TJ Moore in the Clemson offense (except for a brief look at Wesco in the spring game). The offense should be much improved, but we’ve said that over the last few seasons, and it hasn’t materialized. It could be a long afternoon if it doesn’t materialize in a hurry in Atlanta.

Clemson’s defense is good enough to keep it close, and a turnover here or there could make a difference. My early gut feeling is that it’s closer than people think for the majority of the contest. But can Clemson win the fourth quarter? That will tell the tale.

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