Georgia will open the 2013 football season as the nation’s No. 5 team in the USA Today coaches poll, its highest ranking since 2008 when the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The Bulldogs will open with just the second top 10 matchup in program history. Clemson is ranked No. 8.
The teams meet on Aug, 31 at Clemson on a nationally televised night game on ABC.
“It’s really just setting it up for the type of football games that we come to Georgia to play,” senior offensive guard Chris Burnette said Thursday before the Bulldogs opened preseason practices. “When we can go outside the conference and play a big game to start the season off, it’s always exciting.”
The only other top-10 matchup to start the season for Georgia was a No.7-ranked Bulldogs team that beat No. 9 Clemson 13-7 on Sept. 6, 1982. Those were also coaches’ poll rankings in what was then the UPI.
Georgia, which has taken advantage of what some considered a soft conference schedule the last two seasons, will open with three teams ranked in the top 13 in the first four games, including No. 7 South Carolina in week two and No. 13 LSU in game four.
“We’ll know where we stand after week four for sure,” tailback Keith Marshall said. “At the same time, all that ratings and stuff in preseason doesn’t really mean too much because nobody’s played yet and everybody has a new team.”
Added receiver Malcolm Mitchell: “I love games like that because you’re going to have to give it all you’ve got to win. Those teams work hard to get where they’re at. They’re going to play hard and they know if they beat us, they know they’ll beat us.”
The Bulldogs were ranked behind No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Stanford in the rankings released Thursday.
“If we’re not one than it doesn’t matter,” Mitchell said. “We’re working to get to one.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt is one of the 62 coaches who votes weekly.
He said he asked sports information director Claude Felton to compile a list of preseason rankings from the summer as a starting point.
“That’s maybe where a lot of other coaches start, too, and I think that’s where we are on mine,” Richt said. “We’re five of six on mine because of what everybody said. I’ll start with that, and then I’ll move from there.”
Georgia finished No. 4 in the coaches’ poll at the end of last season after being ranked No. 6 in the preseason. The Bulldogs finished 12-2 last season and reached their second straight SEC title game.
“The past two years we’ve tried to get it back on track where we’ve shown the country that we are a team that is going to be in the championship mix,” Burnette said.
Six SEC teams in all are ranked, including No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 10 Florida.
The Associated Press media poll will be released on Aug. 17.
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Now-married Burnette joins Theus on first team OL
DL Thorton a fan of Jay Ratliff
Quick hits: DB Swann prepared to play nickel
SLIDESHOWS FROM MEDIA DAY:
Day 1 of UGA preseason practice
UGA football media day
VIDEOS FROM MEDIA DAY:
Todd Gurley doesn’t like ‘Gurshall’
Aaron Murray is leaner, more agile
Damian Swann more than willing to play nickel
Malcolm Mitchell glad to be focused on one position
Jordan Jenkins impressed with freshmen
Running backs, quarterbacks take reps at practice