First look: Top storylines, betting odds for Clemson vs. Georgia kickoff game

Clemson football is back in season.

It’s officially game week for coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers, who are set to play Georgia in a massive Week 1 neutral-site game in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium .

Saturday’s Aflac Kickoff Game will rekindle a regional rivalry, serve as the ultimate early test for Clemson and possibly set an attendance record .

Here’s your first look at the matchup.

Clemson vs. Georgia game, TV info

• Who: No. 14 Clemson (0-0) vs. No. 1 Georgia (0-0)
• When: 12 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
• TV: ABC
• Streaming: Via ESPN.com or ESPN app

Vegas odds: Clemson-Georgia point spread

Georgia is a consensus 13.5-point betting favorite against Clemson, according to the VegasInsider.com consensus line . The current over/under for points scored is 49.5.

Per the Odds Shark database, this is Clemson’s first game as a betting underdog since last year’s upset win over Notre Dame and first game as a double-digit betting underdog in 12 years dating back to a Sept. 22, 2012, game at Florida State (+14.5).

Clemson vs. Georgia last meeting, trends

This will be the 66th all-time meeting between Clemson and Georgia, regional rivals whose campuses are only about 75 miles apart. In a series that dates back to 1897 , UGA leads 43-18-4 and is 7-3 against Clemson in the teams’ last 10 meetings.

Georgia has also won two straight games in the series, most recently a 10-3 victory over Clemson in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte.

Clemson last beat Georgia in 2013.

State of the Clemson Tigers

The Tigers are eager to prove they’re still the Clemson of old after a shocking start to last season. The preseason No. 9 team in the country entering 2023, Clemson lost its season opener at Duke and was 4-4 and 2-4 in the ACC halfway through the year.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik and company rallied to win five straight, including an upset of ranked Notre Dame, the rivalry game against South Carolina and a Gator Bowl shootout against Kentucky. But there are still questions about Klubnik’s status as a truly elite quarterback, the explosiveness of Garrett Riley’s offense and Swinney’s lack of transfer portal usage .

After their fewest wins in a season since 2010, the Tigers got their lowest preseason ranking in 2015 and were picked second in the ACC behind Florida State.

State of the Georgia Bulldogs

Think about this: Georgia went 13-1 last year and won the Orange Bowl and that was a letdown based on the Bulldogs’ past two seasons.

UGA has emerged as the best team in the sport over the past three years and enters this one having won 42 of its last 44 games.

Coach Kirby Smart’s program won the 2021 and 2022 national championships and narrowly missed out on a College Football Playoff spot last year after falling in the SEC title game to Alabama. As per usual, the Bulldogs have reloaded with tons of high school and portal talent — and return starting quarterback Carson Beck, one of this year’s Heisman Trophy favorites .

Clemson vs. Georgia players to watch

• Clemson RB Phil Mafah : Mafah had 965 yards and 13 touchdowns last year and is now the Tigers’ undisputed RB1 with Will Shipley in the NFL. The senior bruiser will be a huge part of the offense this year and could reach 20 carries a game.

• Clemson LB Barrett Carter : Carter, a former five-star recruit, returned for his senior year after a good but not great junior season with the Tigers. What better way to boost his draft stock than a splash play or two against the No. 1 team?

• Georgia QB Carson Beck : Beck stayed patient, waited for his opportunity and promptly led the SEC in passing yards last year (3,941) and had 24 touchdowns. An efficient pocket passer who spreads the ball around, he isn’t lacking on weapons.

• Georgia DL Nazir Stackhouse : A preseason first team All-SEC pick, Stackhouse is a two-year starter who could be in for his best season yet as a fifth-year. Recall that Clemson’s offensive line allowed nine sacks in its last game against Kentucky.

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