Georgia vs. Clemson preview: Tigers might have slight advantage over Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs football is back on Saturday at noon ET to take on the Clemson Tigers in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs enter the matchup favored by two touchdowns leaving the 14th-ranked Tigers looking to pull off the big upset.

That's going to be a tall task for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and his squad, but they could have a slight advantage when it comes to having to stop Georgia's run game .

The Bulldogs will be without returning lead rusher Roderick Robinson II, who recently underwent surgery to repair a toe injury. Starting running back and Florida transfer Trevor Eitenne is also expected to miss at least one game following his DUI arrest in March. Additionally, it's rumored that walk-on and fourth-string Cash Jones is not fully healthy.

That means Georgia may be down to relying heavily on sophomore Branson Robinson and true freshman Nate Frazier.

Robinson returns after suffering a season-ending ruptured patella injury. Prior to his injury, Robinson played in 12 games in 2022 where he rushed 68 times for 341 yards.

As for Frazier, he joined the team in May and earned some high remarks from Kirby Smart in a short amount of time. As a recruit, the California native was the No. 2 running back in the nation and 49th overall player to come out of the Class of 2024, per the On3.

Much like Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney takes a lot of pride in his defense. The Tigers' defense ranked amongst the best last year and it should look similar this fall as they returned eight of their 11 guys on that side of the ball, who might not have to work as hard stopping Georgia's rushing attack if they don't have their best running backs available.

The Tigers' defense will, however, face an uphill battle in shutting down Heisman favorite quarterback Carson Beck and his endless receiving options, including Dillon Bell, Oscar Delp, and Dominic Lovett.

And when it comes to getting through Georgia's run defense, good luck. However, unlike Georgia, Clemson star rusher Phil Mafah is healthy. But the Tigers will have a better chance of moving the chains if junior quarterback Cade Klubnik is fast and accurate in getting the ball to his targets rather than relying on the ground game.

With all that said, don't expect a high-scoring game, this one will come down to the trenches , though the Bulldogs should come away with the victory.

Related: Mac's CFB pick of the week: Georgia Bulldogs kick off 2024 season undefeated