How big is the opening game of the 2024 college football season between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Clemson Tigers? Large enough that it was rated as the best non-conference matchup for 2024 by 247Sports.
The annual game between the Tigers and Florida State, which is set for October 5 in Tallahassee, is ranked lower than Clemson-Georgia in Grant Hughes’ ranking of the “top 10 college football rivalry games that will define the 2024 season” on 247Sports.
When Clemson travels to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to play Georgia, which has been a unanimous choice for either No. 1 or No. 2 in a variety of way-too-early/post-spring Top 25 polls, the Tigers will be overwhelming underdogs. In an attempt to become college football’s first three-peat national champion since Minnesota in 1934–36, the Bulldogs finished the regular season last year with a 12-0 record.
In Nick Saban’s final season, the Crimson Tide advanced to the College Football Playoff when Georgia lost to Alabama 27–24 in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs had to settle for the Orange Bowl, where they trounced Florida State, the ACC champion, 63-3.
This season, Kirby Smart’s squad returns several key starters, including EDGE Mykel Williams, defensive back Malaki Starks, quarterback Carson Beck, and receiver Dillon Bell.
After an awful 4–4 start to the previous season, Clemson’s Tigers lost four games for the first time since 2011. They overcame the deficit to win their final five games, including an exciting Gator Bowl comeback against Kentucky in the fourth quarter. They finished 9-4 overall.
The Tigers, especially on defence, have an abundance of returning starters as well. Barrett Carter, a linebacker, and T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart, a defensive lineman, as well as defensive backs R.J. Mickens and Khalil Barnes, all expected to return. On the offensive side, tight end Jake Briningstool, running back Phil Mafah, receiver Tyler Brown, and quarterback Cade Klubik are all returning.
