How to watch Clemson vs. Georgia 2014: Preview, TV schedule, odds, more
For the second straight season, Clemson and Georgia open the first Saturday of FBS football in primetime. And for the second straight season, many points are likely to be scored.
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia and Clemson could not have picked a better two-year stretch to resume their dormant border rivalry. Following a decade-long hiatus, the Bulldogs and Tigers heralded the arrival of the 2013 football season with a thrilling clash of offensive powerhouses in Week 1. They may very well open the 2014 season in similar fashion. Following Clemson's 38-35 win in Death Valley last year, the 'Dawgs will get a shot at defending their turf on the back end of the home-and-home with the Tigers.
Both schools lost big-name talents to the NFL following the 2013 season, and both are expected to reload with big-name blue-chip prospects. Still, it's likely that Georgia's three new starters on the offensive line will find their groove by the time UGA hits the middle of SEC play, and a deep pool of former four-star prospects should eventually replace the production of Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant for Clemson. But it's much harder to say that either team will be anywhere close to having those answers during the first week of the season.
And that’s what makes the first weekend of major college football so fun -- or scary, depending on your perspective.
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How to witness
TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Radio: You can find a full list of Clemson radio affiliates right here. Georgia fans can find Bulldog-friendly broadcasts here.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Georgia holds a 41-18-4 all-time record against Clemson. Both teams are ranked in the preseason polls, with Georgia coming it at No. 12 in the AP and Coaches Poll and Clemson at No. 16.
Vegas: The betting lines on this contest vary, but every major oddsmaker favors Georgia within a range of 7.5 and 9.5 points.
Weather forecast: With a projected high of 96, Saturday afternoon could be a scorcher. The sun won’t set until 2.5 hours after kickoff.
Three names to know
Todd Gurley: You probably know this name already, but you might as well know it again. After decades of clamoring for the return of Herschel Walker, Bulldog fans may finally have their man. Todd Gurley is a preseason Heisman frontrunner, a likely first-round 2015 NFL Draft pick, and perhaps most impressive of all, one of a select few Georgia Bulldogs who did not exit the 2013 campaign via season-ending injury (though he did get hurt at one point last year).
Vic Beasley: Clemson's senior defensive end might have been a first-round NFL Draft pick had he left following 2013. Instead, Beasley returned for his final year of eligibility to headline the Tigers' ferocious front seven. If Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables can devise a scheme to take advantage of Georgia's inexperienced offensive line, Beasley could exit Week 1 with a solid head start on topping the career-best 13 sacks he accumulated last year.
Hutson Mason: Georgia's senior signal caller patiently waited for three years behind Aaron Murray. Now it's his turn to run the show in Athens, and he'll have plenty of weapons on hand to help him pull it off.
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Two things at stake
Both of these programs are competing and recruiting at such a level that national championship expectations have to be a part of every preseason discussion. It goes without saying that a loss in the first week of the season would deal a significant blow to any such expectations. But the good news for the loser is that this is a non-conference contest. An early-season loss followed by an impressive run through a power conference schedule is very much possible. This loss could be a distant memory in the minds of College Football Playoff committee members should either team find itself with one loss at the end of the regular season.
The stakes may be somewhat higher for Clemson, though. Florida State and South Carolina are the only potential Clemson wins that seem likely to impress the playoff Committee. Georgia, on the other hand, will have run the usual gauntlet in the SEC if it manages to win out following a loss to Clemson.
Further reading
Check out SB Nation’s Clemson blog, Shakin’ The Southland. Find our Georgia community, Dawg Sports, right here.
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