Clemson football: Seeing UGA twice in one season is a real possibility

Clemson football fans might have to deal with opposing fans barking at them more than just one time during the 2021 season.

We all know that the 2021 Clemson football season will open up with the Georgia Bulldogs in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The two teams are ranked inside the top-five to begin the season and the winner of this game is going to have the inside track on a CFB Playoff berth in a big way.

However, the loser of this game is not out by any means.

Many opposing fans want to believe that the Tigers would be eliminated if they were to lose to Georgia in the season-opener, but as long as the game isn’t a blowout– and no one has any reason to expect that it will be– Clemson still has an opportunity to finish the year 11-1 with an ACC Championship and potentially a win over top-10 ranked team in the conference title game.

Why we could see Clemson football play Georgia again in 2021

So, it’s pretty clear at this point that– even though it will hurt for fans– we can’t count the Tigers out of the running if they were to lose.

But the same can obviously be said for Georgia.

Because the Bulldogs play in the SEC, they automatically get a mulligan when it comes to the CFB Playoff committee. It would take a lot for the committee to leave out an 11-1 SEC team and they even have been known to consider 10-2 teams from the conference.

So, could the Bulldogs conceivably lose to Clemson and still find a way back into the CFB Playoff? We certainly think so and, honestly, we might even consider it a higher percentage chance that it happens than it doesn’t.

Here’s Georgia’s schedule following the Clemson football game:

• UAB
• South Carolina
• @ Vanderbilt
• Arkansas
• @ Auburn
• Kentucky
• Florida (in Jacksonville)
• Missouri
• @ Tennessee
• Charleston Southern
• @ Georgia Tech

Find the losses. It’s going to be hard to do.

You’ve got mediocre opponents in UAB, South Carolina, Vandy, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. Then you’ve got Auburn, Kentucky and Florida, only one of which is on the road. And let’s not pretend that any of those teams are top-10 opponents.

If Georgia finds a way to not lose games it shouldn’t– and that certainly can’t be ruled out for the Bulldogs– then there’s no reason to believe they can’t wind up in the SEC Championship game with just a win over Alabama or LSU standing in their way. Even if UGA was to lose in the SEC Championship game, there are still scenarios– even if we don’t agree– where the committee would take a two-loss UGA team over some other conference champions.

On the other hand, if Georgia was to beat Clemson, you’d be hard-pressed to find a road in which they don’t end up in the CFB Playoff barring some self-destruction.

We’re not saying it’s a given by any stretch of the imagination, but don’t be surprised if Sept. 4 doesn’t end up being the last time we see the Dawgs this season.