Dabo Swinner alongside Kirby Smart Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney speak before the start of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
ArticlesCollege FootballBy Reice Shipley on

The Clemson Tigers got a harsh welcome to the 2024-25 college football season, suffering a 34-3 defeat at the hands of the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. And as you may expect, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney received a large portion of the blame.

Simply put, there were very few areas where Clemson actually looked good in the game. Georgia’s offense had very few issues moving the ball at will on Clemson, particularly thanks to an impressive performance from star quarterback Carson Beck, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik largely looked lost against the always stout Georgia defense, throwing for just 142 yards with one interception in the defeat.

Georgia is ranked No. 1 overall for a reason. They will likely make many other teams look silly throughout the season. But considering Clemson’s reputation as a powerhouse in college football, it was a pretty bad look.

One major criticism around the game actually didn’t have to do with any of the players on the field, instead shifting their focus to Dabo Swinney’s continued decision not to use the transfer portal to bring in big-name talent.

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It will be interesting to see how Clemson bounces back from this blowout loss. But at least for the time being, it seems like there is a world between Clemson and the elite teams in college football.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley