Georgia-Clemson highlights three Top 25 matchups in SEC’s opening weekend

Things to watch this weekend in the Southeastern Conference:

Game of the week

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 14 Clemson, noon ET, Atlanta (ABC).

The Bulldogs get a big opening test after failing to make the College Football Playoff in their bid for a third straight national title. Georgia, a nearly two-touchdown favorite, carries a school-record regular season winning streak of 39 games into Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Quarterback Carson Beck leads coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs after ranking third in FBS with 3,941 passing yards last season. He should have plenty of help from standout returnees and transfers, including ex-Florida running back Trevor Etienne.

A defense that has stayed among the nation’s best in recent seasons must replace three starters in the secondary but returns All-America safety Malaki Starks and other stars The Bulldogs face Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has a deep group of receivers.

The last time they met, then-No. 5 Georgia won 10-3 over third-ranked Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina, three years ago. The Tigers managed just two rushing yards and allowed seven sacks.

The undercard

There are notable games: Oklahoma and No. 4 Texas making their entries into the league with seeming mismatches. The Sooners host Temple on Friday and Texas entertains Colorado State a day later. Plus Kalen DeBoer makes his Alabama debut against Western Kentucky.

And there are big games: No. 20 Texas A&M and new coach Mike Elko host No. 7 Notre Dame on Saturday and the next day No. 13 LSU faces No. 23 Southern California in Las Vegas in a matchup of teams replacing the top two NFL draft picks at quarterback. The Trojans lost No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. LSU must replace No. 2 pick and last year’s Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels.

Impact players

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier stuck around for three years before finally getting his shot as the full-time starter. His starting debut was an overwhelming success: 395 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn MVP honors in a bowl win over Wisconsin.

Florida is relying heavily on QB Graham Mertz i n hoping for a turnaround, starting against Miami. Texas A&M has a healthy Conner Weigman and hopes he can stay that way.

Inside the numbers

The SEC has four of the preseason top six teams in the AP poll: No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama and No. 6 Mississippi. The league posted a 45-11 record against nonconference opponents last season but was a more modest 5-4 in bowl games. The Bulldogs were the preseason pick to win the league, followed by Texas and Alabama.

Replacing Saban

The game isn’t the main story for Alabama vs. Western Kentucky. It the first look since 2006 at a coach not named Nick Saban manning the Crimson Tide sidelines. The 49-year-old DeBoer has embraced the challenge of replacing a coach who added seven national championships to the SEC stockpile, six at Alabama and one at LSU. DeBoer led Washington to the national championship game last season.

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