Clemson football has season-opener with Georgia ‘circled,’ according to 247 Sports
The Clemson football team will open up the 2021 season with a neutral-site matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs in Bank of America Stadium.
What once was considered a rivalry back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s has turned cold over the last few decades. The Tigers and Bulldogs have not faced each other since 2014 and the two programs have matched up just four times since 2000.
The good news? The two programs will play each other the same amount of times this decade than they have in the past two decades combined. Clemson and Georgia are set to play here in 2021 and then will play a neutral-site game in Atlanta in 2024. They’ll also play a home-and-home in 2029 and 2030.
Because of the history of this rivalry game and the fact that both the Tigers and the Bulldogs are set to be top-five teams to begin the season, there has been a ton of attention placed on the 2021 opener.
247 Sports’ analyst Brad Crawford just published a list look at ‘one game every Top 25 team has circled on their 2021 schedule‘ and he, of course, had Georgia listed for Clemson.
"“With the Tigers already penciled in for another ACC Championship this season thanks to a roster that’s considerably more talented than the rest of the league, we’re going the non-conference route — and no, we’re not talking about the South Carolina game,” Crawford wrote. “Clemson opens against Georgia, a fellow Top 5 team most likely, in a matchup that could determine if one of those programs is College Football Playoff potential at season’s end. A loss for either wouldn’t be devastating, but it would certainly make the final 11 games on each respective scheduled all but must-wins.”"
Crawford also listed Clemson as Georgia’s top circled game.
Clemson football fans are excited about the opportunity to get back in the win column against the Bulldogs
There’s no doubt that Georgia fans can be tough to listen to, especially for Clemson football fans who live in Bulldog territory.
Despite the success that the Tigers have had over the last six years- including two National Championships- many Bulldogs fans hold on to that 2014 win over the Tigers.
Clemson finally has a chance to ‘right that wrong,’ but it won’t be done easily.
The Tigers, according to 247 Sports’ preseason rankings, are ranked No. 3 in the nation behind Alabama (No. 1) and Oklahoma (No. 2). Georgia is ranked No. 5.
This should be a fun game and one that both fan bases are going to look forward to. The winner of this matchup puts themselves in prime position for a CFB Playoff spot, but make no mistake: The loser of this game isn’t out of those discussions, either.