The first marquee matchup of Saturday's Week 1 college football slate looked like a good one heading into opening weekend. No. 1 Georgia was to take on No. 14 Clemson in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The Bulldogs, looking to bounce back in 2024 after missing the College Football Playoff in '23, wanted to get off to a good start and avoid any real upset concerns. The Tigers boasted high expectations as well, with Dabo Swinney putting together a very talented roster despite a public aversion to the transfer portal and all things NIL.
In other words, it felt like there was a lot at stake for a mere Week 1 matchup, even one that pits two ranked teams against one another. Then the game got started, and Georgia wound up dominating, winning 34–3.
