Clemson will face off against Georgia tomorrow for the 66th meeting of the two programs.
Georgia leads the series 43-18-1, the last game coming in 2021. It’s been over a decade since Clemson beat the Bulldogs. In 2013, the Tigers' 38-35 victory was a battle from start to finish, with both teams throwing reciprocating haymakers.
The story's a little different eleven years later. Georgia is on the verge of becoming the next SEC dynasty with head coach Kirby Smart. On the other hand, Clemson has stumbled in the last few seasons. Can Clemson go blow-for-blow with the No. 1 team in the country? With less than 24 hours until kickoff, here are the RTR staff predictions:
Staff predictions: Georgia
Austin
Clemson is on the verge of falling from the top tier of college football programs. Whether fans like it or not, that’s a fact. However, Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are still clinging to the top for dear life. The game against Georgia is where they can finally gain the strength to pull themselves back up.
Clemson’s defense is underrated. I think they give Georgia trouble early, especially in the run game. On offense, the Tigers returned much of their production from last season, which could be a negative with what the product looked like. On the other hand, the receivers should get a boost from Antonio Williams returning from injury, as well as Tyler Brown returning after a great season in 2023. It should be enough to keep Clemson in the game early.
Final Score, Georgia 31 - Clemson 24
Matthew
Georgia vs. Clemson This matchup comes down to the quarterback play and which passer can come up biggest against a pair of stout defenses. The problem for Clemson’s Cade Klubnik is that he might be facing the best defense in the nation, a unit coached by arguably the best defensive mind in the game, Kirby Smart. Has Klubnik improved enough in one offseason to be good enough to take down Georgia in Atlanta? No.
On the other side, Carson Beck will lead a dangerous Bulldog offensive attack that put up at least 27 points in all but two games last season. Though the Tigers’ defense will be competitive in this one, it won’t be able to win this game alone and eventually it will succumb to the Bulldogs. In this matchup of yesterday’s news vs. today’s buzzsaw, Clemson will struggle to keep things close as we will be reminded again of Georgia’s dominance.
Final Score, Georgia 35 – Clemson 17