Game Prediction: No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 3 Clemson Tigers

Here's what the BuckeyesNow staff is predicting for one of the biggest games of the year in college football.

Saturday is a mega-weekend for college football with five games pinning top-25 teams against each other. That's the first time that's ever happened in the AP Poll era (1950). None is bigger than the neutral site Georgia-Clemson game.

In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Info, this neutral site game between the Bulldogs and Tigers has the highest playoff leverage of any regular season game in the country this year according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor.

Think about it this way ... in a 4-team playoff, how likely is it that you'll see BOTH of these teams in the College Football Playoff? Possible, maybe. But extremely unlikely. It's a must win game for both sides.

Here's how the BuckeyesNow staff thinks this titanic clash will play out:

Brendan Gulick: Georgia 28, Clemson 24

Man could this season start with a bigger hammer? This is going to be a high level football game. I'm sure both teams will have a couple stumbles - that's natural when you're playing the first game of the season against an opponent that's capable of a deep run into December and January.

I think I'm going to pick against my gut here. I'm going to take Georgia in a game that feels like Clemson should win (it's not a home game, but it practically is). Georgia has had this recruiting machine for awhile now and they haven't been able to do much with it. They've made the playoff once in seven years.

This game should be about defense. Both teams were phenomenal against the run last year. Georgia had the best run defense in the nation, while Clemson was top-10. I think the first game of the post-Trevor Lawrence era is a solid performance for D.J. Uiagalelei, but it's not enough to beat the Bulldogs.

Clemson's playoff hopes are on life support after Week 1. Gotta love that.

Game Predictions: Alabama vs. Miami, Penn State vs. Wisconsin, Indiana vs. Iowa, Notre Dame vs. Florida State

Andrew Lind: Georgia 28, Clemson 35

While this game pits two of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei and Georgia’s J.T. Daniels, I think this game ultimately comes down to which team can establish the running game.

The Tigers are breaking in a new starter against a defense that allowed just 2.4 yards per carry last season, while the Bulldogs will look to get Zamir White going against a defense that allowed just 3.1 yards per game last season. Something has to give.

I have a little more faith in Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Tony Elliott than I do in Kirby Smart and Todd Monken to create a winning game plan. 

Adam Prescott: Georgia 27, Clemson 24

The best game of the week features all kinds of storylines and future CFP implications. I view this as a complete toss-up no matter where it's being played. JT Daniels had 10 touchdowns and only two picks in the shortened season, but lit up a strong Cincinnati defense for 392 yards in the Peach Bowl. D.J. Uiagalelei is more fun to say, and I think he has a bright future, but “life after Trevor” hits hard for at least one night as Clemson somehow comes up just short in a thriller.

Brett Hiltbrand: Georgia 24, Clemson 27

Primetime game with major implications the first week of the season? Yes, more please.

The money for this game has been super fun to watch (if you're in to that kinda thing) so watching the line move is always interesting. Both defenses are excellent, the QBs are on Heisman watch and we know the pedigree.

It's supposed to be a neutral game as well - they're playing at Bank of America stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers - but Clemson doesn't lose there. That's basically a home game. 

Eddie Marotta: Georgia 17, Clemson 34

What a treat this game is for Week 1 of the 2021 CFB season. The post-Trevor Lawrence era has arrived for Clemson, and Georgia looks to rebound after an unconventional down year under head coach Kirby Smart. 

Even with experience on the side of the Bulldogs, many will be impressed by new Tigers starting QB D.J. Uiagalelei, who made a name for himself last season, torching Notre Dame's defense in a primetime offensive expose with Lawrence sidelined due to COVID protocols. Clemson lost that game, in 2OT albeit, but the freshman finished the game 29-44 for 439 and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He has another year under his belt, and Clemson and Alabama will remain the gold standard in the Power 5. 

Clemson wins this game.

Caleb Spinner: Georgia 24, Clemson 35

Georgia and Clemson may be the most interesting matchups we see all season. The last game of the 2020 season for the Bulldogs was a nail-biter Peach Bowl game against the American Athletic Conference’s Cincinnati Bearcats, in which a last-second field goal gave Georgia the win. 

Clemson begins life without a bulk of their offense, including QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne and WR Amari Rodgers. Both of these teams will be looking to prove they’re ready to dominate this season. Clemson’s total wont be as high as it normally was with Lawrence’s explosive arm and their usual playmaking capabilities, but they still will have enough power to out-pace the Bulldogs in the end.

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