Tigers, Bulldogs prepare for Saturday showdown
CLEMSON, S. C. — Clemson University ended the 2012 season with a landmark victory against Southeastern Conference power LSUin the Chick- fil- A Bowl.
Now the No. 8- ranked Tigers hope to start the 2013 season taking down another SEC heavyweight when they play host to No. 5 Georgia in the season opener for both teams on Saturday.
There will be no shortage of hype for just the second matchup of Top 10 teams in the history of Clemson’s Memorial Stadium — ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be onhandtopumpupa sold- out crowdof80,000- plus and a national- television audience.
“Openers are always tough, regardless of the opponent, because of the unknown,” Clemson coachDabo Swinney said. “But they’re even tougher when you open up with a team like Georgia.”
It will be the first meeting between the teams since 2003, marking at least atwo- year resurrection of a popular series that has produced many close and memorable games, particularly in the 11- game span from 1977 to 1988. Each team won five times and there was one tie during that stretch, with the games decided by an average of one point.
Saturday night’s game shapes up as a potential shootout with two proven, high- scoring offenses directed by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks facing defenses rife with question marks.
Whatever unfolds, plenty of excitement should be in the offing.
“Turn it up, have fun, just bring it,” ClemsonRBRoderick “Hot Rod” McDowell said. “The environment is going to be unbelievable, and I know we’ll feed off of it. This is what you play for, really. Both of us are ranked, so this is the bestway to start your season off.”
A victory could immediately boost Clemson into national title talk, butSwinney alsomadeit clear that a defeat wouldn’t bring a premature end to the Tigers’ season.
“It’dbe great towinthegame, butwe’re really just going to check off the first goal, which is to win the opener,” Swinney said. “We’ve got 12 games on our schedule and this happens to be first. It’s not a win- all, end- all type deal. The winner of this game has a good starting spot. The losermaydropback a little bit, but is not out of the race. It’s a long race.”
When the Alabama Crimson Tide last played Virginia Tech in the 2009 season opener at the Georgia Dome, it mostly lived up to the hype of a top 10 matchup. Alabama overcame breakdowns in discipline and on special teams to outlast theHokies, 34- 24.
The Tide and Tech meet again Saturday in the Georgia Dome, and it’s hard to construct a scenario under which this game will come down to the fourth quarter. Alabama is a three- touchdown favorite against a team which was hit hard by preseason injuries.
But the two- time national champions are aware that taking the Hokies for granted won’t please coach Nick
Saban or their rabid fans. “Everybody has a time and era in college football,” Tide QB AJ McCarron told Al. com. “USC went through it. Florida went through it. Miami went through it for all those years. Our biggest thing tomeis, why does your time and era have to end?”