It was only three years ago that Georgia seemed primed to win its first national championship since 1968. The Bulldogs led Alabama by 13 points …
It was only three years ago that Georgia seemed primed to win its first national championship since 1968. The Bulldogs led Alabama by 13 points at halftime. A coronation in Atlanta seemed inevitable. Then Tua Tagovailoa happened. The Crimson Tide made a killer interception of Jake Fromm. And Georgia hasn’t been the same since. Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C., the Bulldogs can begin to climb their way back to elite status. Beat the No.3 Tigers and the fifth-ranked Bulldogs will make an early statement they are a true title contenders, with USC transfer JT Daniels under center. The focus in this anticipated showdown will center on the two quarterbacks. Daniels finished well last year for Georgia following major knee surgery, throwing 10 touchdown passes and completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,231 yards in four wins. Now he has to back it up, and do so without his top receiver, George Pickens, who had surgery on is right knee after tearing his ACL in March. For Clemson, life begins after Trevor Lawrence, the top pick in the NFL draft. Sophomore D.J. Uiagalelei, a top prospect who was impressive in two starts in place of Lawrence as a freshman, now takes center stage. The two teams last met in the 2014 opener, a 45-21 Georgia rout in which Todd Gurley ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Much has changed for Clemson since then. The Tigers have become a national powerhouse with two national titles and six straight berths in the College Football Playoff.
