ATLANTA – Georgia completed the task the playoff selection committee began.

ACC football, you are not what you seem.

This also applies to Clemson.

In the past, under Dabo Swinney’s leadership, Clemson showcased talented quarterbacks and exciting wide receivers who would triumph over Alabama and secure national championships, paving pathways to the NFL.

Those times have come to an end.

Now, Clemson resembles Iowa, although the Hawkeyes feature a superior punter.

No. 1 Georgia trounced No. 14 Clemson 34-3, leaving the Tigers struggling at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday.

Georgia (1-0) initially appeared to be a work in progress, but surged ahead after halftime. The Bulldogs faced no real threats from a Clemson team that showcased a significant decline in talent compared to the years when Swinney saw success.

Clemson’s Need for Transfers Ignored by Dabo Swinney

A decade ago, Swinney claimed he would leave college football if athletes began receiving payments. Although he didn’t follow through, his hesitance to engage with the transfer portal has left his teams unable to compete with the best.

By the time wide receiver Colbie Young scored Georgia’s first touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, the outcome felt inevitable, despite Georgia’s modest 13-0 lead. Clemson demonstrated an inability to move the ball effectively.

Interestingly, Young is a transfer, demonstrating how Georgia utilizes the portal to enhance their recruiting classes.

Finding a transfer player at Clemson (0-1) is like searching for a snipe.

Swinney made no acquisitions through the transfer portal this offseason. The Tigers required a receiver who could challenge Georgia’s defense – and a more capable quarterback to throw accurate passes.

Clemson’s quarterback, Cade Klubnik, simply did not perform, while Georgia’s Carson Beck delivered an impressive game.

Georgia initially took its time in the opener, but Beck quickly sealed the win with an impressive second half.

No one excels on third downs like Beck. His precise throw to London Humphreys on third-and-10 was instrumental in Georgia’s second touchdown drive of the third quarter.

Later, needing 9 yards to keep the drive alive, Beck found Humphreys again, this time for a stunning 40-yard gain and another touchdown.

Beck threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns, showing better accuracy than Klubnik and benefitting from superior wide receivers. He might miss All-America tight end Brock Bowers, but he’s developing strong rapport with Dillon Bell, Arian Smith, and Dominic Lovett.

Additionally, Beck displayed his versatility with a couple of effective scramble runs for critical first downs.

Georgia needed every bit of Beck’s 297 total yards, especially since Clemson’s defensive line harkened back to more dominant days, effectively containing Georgia’s running backs for a good portion of the game.

Even though Clemson delayed the inevitable until the second half, they would have needed countless quarters to match the sheer number of points scored by Georgia.

Georgia Reigns Supreme, Leaving Clemson with ACC’s Fading Playoff Dreams

As Clemson dreams of escaping the ACC for a more lucrative conference, it’s worth questioning how this current version of Clemson would perform in the SEC.

I expressed outrage when the College Football Playoff selection committee overlooked undefeated Florida State last December.

It felt unfair at the time and was certainly unprecedented.

Georgia soon quieted the controversy by decisively beating the undermanned Seminoles in the Orange Bowl, but the ACC faced its moment of humility this season.

FSU struggled significantly in Week 0, while Georgia made Swinney’s once-mighty Tigers look like a mere shadow of their former selves.

With playoff expansion on the horizon, Clemson still holds onto hopes for the CFP. The race for the conference title is open, and Clemson will vie for the ACC’s fleeting chance of playoff participation, which would likely be short-lived.

The last time these teams faced each other in 2021, Georgia was still climbing the ranks, while Clemson clung to remnants of its past glories.

Three years later, Georgia stands on top. The advent of NIL and transfers has transformed the landscape of college football. Swinney’s reluctance for adaptation has left his Tigers trailing behind.