The 14th-ranked Clemson Tigers travel to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play the number-one Georgia Bulldogs this Saturday at noon. Now that the College Football Playoffs place all the emphasis on winning your conference, either team can afford a loss and still retain their postseason hopes.
The current climate is one of SEC dominance. The Big Ten’s Michigan Wolverines won the CFP National Championship last year, but the Southeastern Conference were the winners of the previous four.
Prior to that, Clemson won the natty, but that was back when they were routinely a part of the championship picture. Between 2015 and 2019, the Tigers played in three out of five CFP National Championship Games, winning twice.
Clemson lost in the CFP semi-finals in 2020, and the following season, their streak of seven ACC Championships was broken. They’ve finished atop the Atlantic Coast Conference only once in the past three years, but college football betting sites forecast them as the best the ACC has to offer now that the Florida State Seminoles dropped their Week 0 game to the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets.
Where the Tigers still come up short is against the best of the SEC, at least according to oddsmakers. The current line on Georgia and Clemson favors the Bulldogs to win by two touchdowns.
Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Betting Line
- Point Spread: Tigers +13.5, Bulldogs -13.5
- Moneyline: Tigers +410, Bulldogs -585
- Over/Under: 48.5
The location is considered neutral despite the stadium’s Georgia address. Atlanta is a ninety-minute drive from Athens, while Clemson is just over two hours away.
GA has historically dominated the series, holding a 43-18-4 all-time edge over Clemson. The Tigers have only won one of the last eight meetings with the Dogs, with their last victory coming in 2013.
Does that mean the Tigers are due? Probably not, but Clemson will get back on track one of these years.
The last time the Bulldogs and Tigers played was in 2021 when Georgia won by a final score of 10-3. While each roster has been completely revamped, the strategies of head coaches Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart remain much the same.
Considering the last game in the series featured a total output of 13 points from both teams, the over/under of 48.5 gives us pause for consideration.
A Barometer For ACC Legitimacy?
A full season’s worth of data is required before a call can be made on whether a conference is legitimate. For instance, the Pac-12 performed well in their final year of existence despite beliefs to the contrary throughout the fall.
Is it fair to base the strength of the ACC entirely on the results of a single late-August game? No, but that’s precisely what will happen, and it works both ways.
It isn’t an all-or-nothing equation, either. There’s also some middle ground available for the taking via a close Tigers loss. Tune in on Saturday at noon to check the temperature of both programs and their respective conferences.
Bovada Sportsbook Review – The Official Home Of NCAA Football – Clemson vs. Georgia Series History