College football: Mighty Georgia to open vs. once-mighty Clemson

Surprise, surprise.

On Week 1 of the college football season, the focus is on the south. In Atlanta.

With Georgia, the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, in the spotlight.

But, really, everyone knows what Georgia is: a heavy favorite not only to reach the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff but to be one of the final few teams standing.

Quarterback Carson Beck is a Heisman Trophy favorite.

The defense remains loaded with NFL prospects. The Bulldogs are 30-1 in their last 31 games.

The intriguing team here is Clemson.

The Tigers are the mystery.

It wasn’t so long ago they were annual title contenders, ran the ACC and produced pros like Trevor Lawrence, Dexter Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr. and Deshaun Watson, among others.

But they failed to reach the four-team CFP the last three years and won just nine games a season ago.

Dabo Swinney has drawn criticism for his refusal to use the transfer portal.

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Another subpar season could see that criticism mushroom.

But it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Tigers win the wide-open ACC, either, especially if quarterback Cade Klubnik takes a step forward in his development.

He has leading rusher Phil Mafah, top receiver Tyler Brown and star offensive tackle Blake Miller all back, and the defense has the potential to be terrific.

Win or lose, Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium should give us an early idea if this former powerhouse is ready to be a threat again.

Below is a look at the other games to watch this weekend:

Saturday

No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia, Noon

James Franklin has consistently lost the big ones, but he rarely loses these.

The Penn State coach, in fact, has won 24 straight times when the Nittany Lions are at least a touchdown favorite, and they are giving 7.5 points at West Virginia on Saturday.

It’s always tricky starting a season on the road, especially against a power-conference opponent.

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Keep an eye on Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter against West Virginia offensive tackle Wyatt Milum — two stars at their respective positions going head-to-head.

No. 19 Miami at Florida, 3:30 p.m.

Both coaches, Mario Cristobal of Miami and Billy Napier of Florida, could use a big year.

The two are a combined 23-27 at their respective schools in this talent-rich state, and neither has won more than seven games in a single season.

This feels more important for Florida because of the strength of its conference and the fact it is home.

But Miami, buoyed by the additions of difference-making transfers at quarterback (Cam Ward, Washington State), running back (Damien Martinez, Oregon State) and wide receiver (Sam Brown, Houston), should be better.

Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama, 7 p.m.

It will be strange to see Alabama without Nick Saban on the sideline. Kind of like the Yankees without pinstripes or college basketball without the NCAA Tournament.

For the better part of Saban’s 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide owned the sport, winning six titles.

Now, former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer is in charge.

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He has a soft landing spot here — Alabama is a 31.5-point favorite — but the schedule will stiffen fast, with a trip to Wisconsin on Sept. 14 followed by the Sept. 28 showdown against Georgia.

No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m.

Florida State’s shaky opener and the uncertainty at USC makes this a particularly important Week 1 for Notre Dame. Those are the other quality teams on the Irish’s schedule on paper.

Playing in College Station against Texas A&M is a strong early test for Notre Dame and new quarterback Riley Leonard.

This may be its best opponent the entire regular season.

Notre Dame last beat a ranked team on the road to start the season way back in 2005.

The opponent then was No. 23 Pittsburgh and the Irish quarterback was Brady Quinn.

Sunday No. 13 LSU vs. No. 23 USC (Las Vegas), 7:30 p.m.

This is USC’s first marquee opener since the 2016 season.

That didn’t go well — the Trojans were embarrassed by Alabama, 52-6.

The Crimson Tide reached the national championship game that season, and while LSU isn’t expected to be a legitimate title contender this year after losing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels and standout receiver Malik Nabers to the NFL, the Tigers are still expected to be a factor in the deep SEC.

Moving into the Big Ten this year, USC is an unknown commodity after the departure of superstar quarterback Caleb Williams and the addition of new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

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