College football coaching jobs showdown - Clemson vs. Georgia

Perhaps not coincidentally, the final preseason showdown of the college football coaching job comparison series features the two teams playing in the biggest Week 1 game: Clemson and Georgia. The Tigers and Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 and No. 5 in Monday's preseason AP poll, will meet Sept. 4 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. And few would be surprised if both teams end up in the CFP field three months later.

The two schools are located about 75 miles apart, in a football-obsessed area filled with talented recruits. The teams met annually from 1897 to 1916 and again from 1973 to 1986, but they have only met four times since 1995. Both programs are in a select group of teams that can compete nationally on an annual basis. Both recruit at an extremely high level, especially on the defensive side.

This pairing also reflects a theme for this coaching showdown series, which will continue into the season and beyond.

While Georgia's inherent advantages suggest it should be the better job, Clemson's historic run on the field and improvements around the program are undeniable. As always, I will assess Clemson and Georgia in four major areas: history (both recent and long-term), resources and administrative support, recruiting location and access to talent and expectations and climate around the program. In addition to my own research, I surveyed coaches and other sources familiar with both programs to gain more knowledge from the inside.

Is #GoDawgs or #ALLIN the better job? Let's find out.

History

Past 10 years: Clemson 121-18; Georgia 102-31

Clemson recorded by far its best-ever decade, which would be almost any other program's best-ever decade, too. Since 2011, coach Dabo Swinney's Tigers have won 10 or more games every season, claimed seven ACC championships (including the past six), made six consecutive CFP appearances and won national titles in 2016 and 2018. A No. 22 finish in 2011 marks the last time Clemson finished outside the AP top 15, and the team hasn't finished outside the top 4 since 2014. Clemson has placed no lower than second in the ACC Atlantic Division, and has claimed seven wins in New Year's Six games or the national championship. The Tigers beat Nick Saban's Alabama teams twice in national title games, and also reached the title game in 2015 and 2019.

Georgia ended the decade strong with four consecutive AP top-7 finishes, and six total top-10 finishes since 2012. The Bulldogs recorded seven seasons of 10 or more wins, and posted seven bowl victories. They play in an unquestionably tougher league than Clemson and must contend with the best team (Alabama) and coach (Saban) on a consistent basis. Georgia ultimately has fallen short on the championship stage, claiming only one SEC title (2017) and no national championships, despite being on the cusp that 2017 season. The Bulldogs have lost four SEC championship games since 2011, most in the league, falling twice against both Alabama and LSU.

"You'd probably say Clemson [is the better job] because you're the king of a league, where Georgia's fighting to get to the top," a Power 5 coach said. "Who does Clemson really have to beat right now? Miami? We'll see how long [North] Carolina stays up."

Past 50 years: Georgia 437-172-7; Clemson 415-190-8

Here's where things get a bit more interesting. Georgia boasts 22 more wins than Clemson, and, until recently, has been a more nationally relevant program. Georgia has the No. 7 FBS winning percentage since 1971, while Clemson is No. 12 in winning percentage. Georgia is third in both bowl appearances (44) and bowl wins (26), while Clemson is tied for eighth in bowl appearances (40) and 10th in bowl wins (21). Clemson finished ranked only once between 1992 and 2003, and failed to finish in the top 20 from 1992 to 2012. Although Clemson won a national title in 1981 and logged six more AP top-12 finishes between 1982 and 1990, the Tigers were mediocre for the next two decades, never winning more than nine games. Georgia also had several downturns, finishing ranked only four times between 1984 and 1996 and recording only one AP top-10 finish between 1993 and 2002. But the Bulldogs haven't had a losing season since 1996, and they have won 10 or more games 13 times since 2002.

"They're always right there," a Power 5 coach said.

Overall, a case could be made for Georgia having the edge. But when championships are factored in, Clemson gets a significant boost. Clemson has won twice as many league titles (14) as Georgia (7) since 1971. While Georgia had more overall success than Clemson in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Bulldogs failed to win the SEC between 1982 and 2002. Clemson also has three national titles -- 2018, 2016 and 1981 -- since Georgia won its last in 1980. The Tigers' recent run of championships -- and even championship game appearances -- is too impressive to ignore.

Edge: Clemson

Resources/administrative support

Both programs are in good shape, partly because of the pull their head coaches have at each institution. Clemson wouldn't compete consistently with programs such as Alabama and Ohio State -- larger schools with richer football pasts -- without exceptional alignment among the university administration, the athletic administration and the head coach. Between Swinney, longtime athletic director Dan Radakovich and university president Jim Clements, Clemson's leadership group is arguably the strongest in college football.

Clemson's $55 million football operations center, which features a slide, a nap room and a Wiffle ball field, was seen as a facilities game-changer, and it has inspired similar projects for major college programs. The university has made investments to both Swinney and his staff, including coordinators Tony Elliott and Brent Venables, who have passed up opportunities to run their own programs. Clemson has also prioritized areas such as social media, graphics and overall branding.

"Clemson's got the AD, all the s--- lined up, all the way down to the social media stuff," a Power 5 coach said.

Radakovich has led the athletic department since 2012, and Clements, a football-focused president, is in his eighth year leading the university.

"Clemson's the best job in the ACC, hands down," an industry source said. "The administrative support and facilities, it's hard to argue there's better support than what they've done the last 10, 15 years, from staff salary to the facilities, support staff, they've gone all in and invested."

Georgia is making similar investments now, a priority for Kirby Smart since he returned to his alma mater from Alabama. The school completed a $30 million indoor practice facility and a $63 million end zone renovation at Sanford Stadium. The school is also embarking on an $80 million renovation and expansion of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, home to Georgia football and the athletics administration.

When fully completed in 2022, Georgia's facilities will rival any of its competitors. But some wonder what took so long, and whether the delay could signal problems in the future.

"Josh Brooks is a really good AD and he'll get there," an industry source said. "But they've been behind in facilities, they've been behind in things."

Georgia's institutional commitment to winning at the highest level has been debated at times over the years. While Georgia wants to win in football, the university also has broader interests and tough standards, which not every program aspiring for championships faces on its campus.

The alignment often associated with programs, such as Alabama and now Clemson, hasn't been applied as often to Georgia, although Smart seems to be helping the situation.

Edge: Clemson

Recruiting/access to talent

Both Georgia and Clemson are elite recruiting outfits and cross paths, given their locations and championship aspirations. Clemson signed ESPN's top-rated recruiting class in 2020 and has finished in ESPN's top 10 every year since 2015. Georgia signed ESPN's top-rated class in 2018, and had finished in ESPN's top 10 every year from 2011 to 2020 before slipping to No. 12 in the most recent rundown. The 2018 recruiting class underscores both schools' clout: Georgia and Clemson signed ESPN's top two players, both quarterbacks from outside Atlanta (Justin Fields to Georgia; Trevor Lawrence to Clemson). They also combined to sign four other players ranked among ESPN's top 11 prospects, and nine others ranked in the top 25.

"I've always said Georgia's the best job, and the reason is great in-state [talent]," a Power 5 coach said.

While larger states such as Texas, California and Florida get more attention in recruiting, Georgia's per-capita production of elite prospects is stunning. The ESPN 300 for this year included 28 players from Georgia, including eight in the top 60. The ESPN 300 for 2020 also included 28 Georgia prospects, and the 2022 list features ... wait for it ... 28, with five already committed to Smart and the Bulldogs.

"There are still a lot of dudes in Georgia who grow up Bulldog red and they're top-100 dudes," a Power 5 administrator said. "They're layups for Georgia."

Located just across the South Carolina border, Clemson recruits Georgia, but also has had success in other states, using a targeted but successful approach. Swinney's program is often among the national leaders in fewest scholarships offered.

Clemson's 2021 class features ESPN 300 prospects from nine different states (none from South Carolina). The Tigers are casting a wide net -- and they're getting whom they want.

"They get South Carolina, and then Virginia, Tidewater, Charlotte and all that, nobody's really dominating over there, so they can go in there and get dudes," a former Georgia assistant said of Clemson. "They're only offering 75 guys a year right now. They barely even offer anybody. They've just gotten to that point."

Clemson's recruiting under Swinney seems to be on autopilot, but it still takes more work to fill the roster when not at a flagship program in arguably the most talent-rich state. Georgia simply has too many natural advantages not to get the nod.

Edge: Georgia

Expectations/program environment

Georgia packs nearly 93,000 fans into Sanford Stadium on fall Saturdays and boasts the most popular sporting attraction in the state. But a Power 5 coach noted an important difference between Georgia and several other schools in the SEC footprint, which likely appeals to those coaching in Athens.

"From a coaching perspective, there's other things: the Braves, the Falcons, the Hawks," the coach said. "There's things that take away [attention]. Alabama is a great job, but there's nothing that takes away."

Expectations are high at Georgia, and fans know the program is far overdue for winning a national championship. But it's missing the intensity that exists around programs such as Alabama and Ohio State. I noticed this in the reaction to placing Georgia atop the underachiever tiers, as some fans defended a performance that clearly fell short of the program's potential.

Georgia boasts more than 340,000 living alumni, and a strong pool of deep-pocketed donors gives the program a chance to compete at a national level for the long term. Smart has been more aggressive and successful in pushing Georgia to maximize its overall reach, and Brooks, who has been directly involved in the recent facilities upgrades, should continue to help in key areas.

"The Bulldog faithful and what it means for donations and major gifts, they have another gear than Clemson as far as what they can roll out," a Power 5 administrator said.

Clemson has flexed similar financial clout in recent years, and Death Valley is an electric place to see a game, often drawing comparisons to settings in the SEC.

But from an institutional and fan base standpoint, Clemson is tiny compared to Georgia. Clemson reports approximately 161,500 living alumni, less than half of Georgia's. The school is tucked away into a beautiful but somewhat remote area of upstate South Carolina, whereas Georgia is only 70 miles from downtown Atlanta.

Swinney's success has made the Tiger Paw much more visible around college football, but the Georgia brand is bigger and more powerful. When Swinney refers to "little ol' Clemson," it's mostly tongue-in-cheek, as Clemson has transcended that label. But Clemson is, in fact, smaller than most of its peers on the biggest college football stages.

"The idea of Clemson being in the same sentence as Georgia is preposterous," an industry source said. "The fact it's close says [the better job is] Clemson. So many times it should be Georgia, without question."

The case for Clemson in this category is clear: A smaller but well-resourced school in an easier league to navigate, located somewhat out of the way but still attracting and retaining top recruits and coaches. But there are questions about whether a school with Clemson's profile will be a top-5 mainstay whenever Swinney moves on.

Georgia has the right environmental factors to thrive no matter who is sitting in the head coach's chair.

"Mid-sized college town, talent everywhere, best conference but in the East [Division], full control of the state's best prospects," a Power 5 administrator said. "Can't figure out how they haven't won more."

Edge: Georgia

Conclusion

Georgia is one of the great mysteries in college football: a top-5 job without enough top-5 results. Smart might be the coach to elevate the program but needs a championship this fall or in the near future to truly validate the progress. What Georgia could be is a tired refrain if the program never actually reaches that level.

Swinney has fully tapped into the potential that Clemson didn't fully realize under his predecessors. The Tigers have everything they need to continue dominating the ACC and making CFP appearances. As long as Swinney is at the helm, Clemson should be a force both on the field and in recruiting. But what about when he leaves? A dropoff is possible if not likely, and it could be a significant step backward.

"[The better job] should be Georgia, but right now it's Clemson," an industry source said. "But if Dabo retires tomorrow, what's the better job? It's going to be hard to follow Dabo."

The next year or two ultimately will shape Smart's tenure at Georgia, but he's already spearheaded important changes and investments to put Georgia on par with similar programs, especially in the Southeast. When Georgia is committed to winning, the program has too many ingredients in its favor not to break through.

"I don't think it's if, I think it's when, there," a Power 5 coach said. "You just have so much talent."

Better job: Georgia