It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if this highly anticipated matchup was the first of two games this season, with the second on Dec. 31st as one of the two national semi-final matchups.
If you discount the rankings, almost every online sportsbook has Clemson second and Georgia third behind Alabama for betting odds to win the national championship.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers
Saturday, September 04, 2021 – 07:30 PM EDT at Bank of America Stadium
For this neutral site joust, Bovada has Clemson as three-point favorite, which is down from -4 on the opening summer line.
With this being the true opening week of college football, we could hardly do any better than having No. five Georgia vs. No. three Clemson. The beauty of this matchup is we immediately know where two of the top teams are as we start the season. Neither squad will truly be hurt to reach the Final Four, though the loser will have to be letter-perfect from now until early December.
Georgia Scouting Report
Not that Georgia was lacking in continuity, but having offensive coordinator Todd Monken, in his second year, working with most of the same offense, especially quarterback JT Daniels, is a big boost to the Bulldogs scoring potential. Daniels added the big-play threat last year, which compliments a running game that should improve significantly with a quality stable of running backs.
The offensive line has gotten more physical over the years and the wide receiver position is no longer a noticeable weakness.
The front seven on defense will be among the best in the country, led by nose tackle Jordan Davis. The down linemen are big and athletic and they will create negative plays with speed or strength. Linebacker Adam Anderson is Georgia’s best two-way player as a run stopper and pass rusher. The rest of the linebackers are a solid group, great at filling gaps, and able to run downplays.
The secondary starts the year looking dicey. The corners are fresh, though a couple of players are returning from injury and have some experience.
Kirby Smart has enjoyed much success and has to coach like he’s unafraid to win a national championship, starting with the contest.
Clemson Scouting Report
Having won six straight ACC titles and two of the last five national titles, Clemson is poised to keep winning and big. It starts with ball-chucker D.J. Ulagalele, who is big at 6-4, 250 pounds, with a powerful arm and good speed.
Over the last several years, Dabo Swinney has filled the pipeline with strong classes of pass-catchers and that contingent will feature a stellar group again, with new names that will emerge as NFL types.
What is worth watching is how the offensive line and running back come together. The offensive line was the Tigers’ biggest weakness a year ago and Swinney expects this group to be much improved. Swinney has a versatile lot of runners and will use three or four backs, but would prefer to have a go-to guy for big drives.
For as good as the Clemson defense has been for years, all everybody remembered was them being torched by Ohio State for 49 points and over 600 yards last season. The emphasis for spring and fall camp is playing more physically and laying the wood when tackling. Linebacker James Skalski will lead by example and have his teammates bring the hurt at first impact.
There is no shortage of talent at Clemson, it’s more a matter of how badly do the players want success?
Game Prediction: What to Look For
In breaking down the matchup, there is not much if any separation. Georgia has the stronger offensive line, but Swinney is a proven big-game coach who doesn’t shy away from hard decisions.
Though we have not seen either team play obviously, the sense is the Bulldogs are in a better position to start the year. That does not suggest Clemson might be more improved come December, it’s just our focus is on now.
That’s why for college football picks when you have two teams that appear so close in all aspects, you grab the points with the underdog.
College Football Picks: Georgia +3 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
