For the first time this year, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney have shared their thoughts on the highly anticipated Aflac Kickoff game, where their teams will clash. The top-ranked Bulldogs and the No. 14 Tigers are set to face off at noon on August 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, marking the season opener for both teams. The game, announced as a sellout on Thursday, promises to be a marquee matchup in the first full week of the 2024 college football season.
The clash between two top-15 teams is a significant draw for the organizers, and Smart acknowledged its importance. “It definitely helps you guys,” Smart said during a video conference call on Friday. “I know you want the best possible matchup, and the title sponsor Aflac loves it. You guys do a great job making this a premier event. But there’s nothing better than having two top-10 teams teeing off against each other to kick off the season.”
While the “top-10 matchup” label might be slightly exaggerated—Clemson is ranked No. 14 in the preseason polls—there’s no denying the significance of this game. The Tigers, now in their 17th season under Swinney’s leadership, were ranked No. 8 in the USA Today Sports NCAA Re-rank, which evaluates all 134 FBS teams. However, in the grand scheme, these rankings hold little weight until the College Football Playoff rankings are released in November. Both Georgia and Clemson are expected to be strong contenders in the expanded 12-team postseason tournament.
The outcome of this game will influence those rankings and provide early insights into the capabilities of both teams. “People like to make projections,” Swinney said. “But in my experience, we’ve been unranked and won the league, ranked 12th and made it to the national championship, and ranked high but didn’t finish well. It’s fun conversation and creates buzz, but in college football, it’s all about where you are in November and December.”
This isn’t the first time these two coaches have faced off in a season opener. In 2021, Clemson, ranked No. 3, met No. 5 Georgia in the Dukes’ Mayo Kickoff Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina. Georgia edged out Clemson 10-3 and went on to win the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship, while Clemson finished 10-3, missing the ACC Championship game for the first time since 2014.
That 2021 matchup marked a turning point for both programs. Since then, Georgia has secured two national championships and won 42 of their last 44 games. Clemson, after winning titles in 2016 and 2018, has posted a 20-7 record over the past two seasons.
With the playoff expansion, kickoff games like this are less about postseason implications and more about preparing teams for the season and testing their mettle. But for Georgia and Clemson, there’s also a historic rivalry at play. Located just 75 miles apart, these teams once played each other annually, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Georgia leads the all-time series 43-18-4 and has won seven of the last eight meetings.
“You’ve still got two perennial powers facing off,” Smart said. “They’re big-time rivals, with both schools so close. That’s pretty cool.”
As of Friday, Georgia remains a two-touchdown favorite, with betting lines favoring the Bulldogs by 13.5 points. “It’s always exciting to get to that first game,” Swinney said. “And playing in a kickoff classic at a venue like Mercedes-Benz, against the No. 1 team in the nation, definitely adds a little spice.”
For both teams, the true value of this matchup—beyond the $5 million payout—lies in the motivation it provides during the offseason. Last year, Georgia’s first two games were against Tennessee-Martin and Ball State, while Clemson opened against Duke before facing Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic. There’s a different intensity when the opener features teams that have won four of the last eight national championships.
“The build-up in your offseason program is real,” Smart noted. “We’ve had countdown signs in our locker room and weight room. Not only do you get to count it down, but it’s Clemson. That catches people’s eyes and gives us an extra adrenaline rush for every practice and lift.”
Swinney echoed the sentiment: “It’s a big TV event. Clemson-Georgia, 80 miles apart, with a lot of history and tradition. People are definitely going to tune in. It’s great for college football—a great stage, a big-time matchup. Whoever wins will gain a lot of early momentum in their season.”
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