No. 1 Georgia opens championship-or-bust season against No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta

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

BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia by 13 1/2.

Series record: Georgia leads 43-18-4.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Georgia has its sights squarely on a third national championship in four years after just missing out on the playoff a year ago. The Bulldogs can’t afford a slip-up in the season opener against Clemson, especially with Southeastern Conference road games looming against No. 5 Alabama, No. 4 Texas and No. 6 Ole Miss. For Clemson, this is a chance for the Atlantic Coast Conference school to re-establish itself as one of the nation’s premier programs. The Tigers lost four of their first eight games in 2023, before closing the campaign on a five-game winning streak. The 9-4 record marked their most losses since 2011.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia QB Carson Beck against Clemson’s defense. Beck is a bit of unicorn as a fifth-year player who’s spent his entire career at one school, including three seasons as a backup. He finally claimed the starting job a year ago and turned in a stellar campaign, completing 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards, with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He will face a Clemson defense that returns many of its key players from a unit that allowed just 287.8 yards per game in 2023, ranking eighth nationally.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clemson: QB Cade Klubnik. In stark contrast to Beck, Klubnik’s first full season as the starter was marred by miscues and poor choices. Along with 12 interceptions, he had a costly fumble in an overtime loss to Florida State and failed on fourth down is own — in an overtime loss at Miami. He must clean up the mistakes for the Tigers to have any chance against Georgia.

Georgia: DB Malakai Starks. If Klubnik continues to falter, look for the Bulldogs’ All-American in the secondary to take advantage. He had three interceptions and 31 solo tackles a year ago.

FACTS & FIGURES

These schools, which are only about 70 miles apart, last met in 2021 in another neutral-site game to open the season. Georgia prevailed 10-3 in Charlotte, North Carolina and went on to capture the first of two straight national titles. ... The Bulldogs could be shorthanded at running back, with Trevor Etienne facing a possible suspension after an offseason arrest and Roderick Robinson likely sidelined while he recovers from toe surgery.

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