Clemson coach Dabo Swinney knows what a win over the Georgia Bulldogs would do for his program in Week 1.
The Bulldogs are ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the nation in both the AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll; Clemson is ranked No. 14 in both polls. Georgia is a common preseason pick to win the national championship, having won two of the last three titles.
But Swinney understands the realism of the task his Tigers face in their Aug. 31 season opener, set for a noon ET kickoff on ABC from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Speaking in a recorded Q&A session with the Aflac Kickoff Game (the official title of the Clemson vs. Georgia contest), Swinney offered some perspective.
“I don’t think the preseason No. 1 team in the country has lost since 1990 in an opener,” Swinney said. “It’s big to win any game out of the gate in a game like this, but you’re talking about the No. 1 team in the nation, a team that’s lost two games in three years.”
To Swinney’s point, Miami was ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the nation under second-year coach Dennis Erickson entering 1990. The Hurricanes lost at BYU in Week 1, 28-21. They went on to finish No. 3 in the final AP and coaches poll after going 10-2.
Entering the day Friday, Clemson is a 13.5-point underdog to Georgia, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“I think it would be obviously huge for our players and a lot of wind in your sails early on,” Swinney said of what a Clemson upset over Georgia would mean. “Certainly for our fans, they’re excited. It’s Clemson/Georgia and all the rivalry stuff that goes with that. So, it’s a big deal, no doubt about it.”
After Georgia, Clemson returns to Death Valley to open the home portion of its schedule against Appalachian State. Swinney stressed the importance of not overlooking the Tigers’ Week 2 opponent, regardless of whether they’re able to string together an upset over a Georgia program that hasn’t lost a regular season game since 2020.
“If you win the (Georgia) game, you celebrate just like any other game,” Swinney said. “You celebrate it and you better move on quick because you’ll get exposed as you go through your schedule. Because every week has to be the biggest game of the year. That just has to be our mindset.
“We all know that, ‘Hey, this is an opener and it’s huge,’ but they’re not going to give us a national championship trophy if we win the game,” Swinney added of Georgia. “It’s a long season.”
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