Dabo Swinney isn’t downplaying Clemson’s opening game with Georgia.

“It’s a huge game, this is the best team in the country, to me, the last three years, in totality, Georgia,” Swinney said at Clemson’s media day. “I don’t think there’s any question about that.”

The preseason No. 1-ranked Bulldogs play the ACC Heavyweight Tigers — a team projected around 15th — at noon on Aug. 31 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Swinney said Clemson will need to be at its best and get a good indication to see hit team’s start point.

“You’re coming right out of the gate playing a team like (Georgia), you find out where you are in that moment,” Swinney said. “But you can’t let that moment define the rest of your season, if you win it.

“If it’s all about that (game), you’ll get beat against App State quick.”

The Tigers play host to Appalachian State at 8 p.m. the following week, while Georgia has an easy home game at 2 p.m. the following Saturday against FCS school Tennessee Tech.

Swinney, who entering his 16th year as the Tigers’ head coach is the nation’s fifth-longest tenured FBS coach, explained how the mindset is to keep the opening game in perspective.

“If you win it, it doesn’t tell you that much either, you’ve still got to go win the next game,” Swinney pointed out. “And if it doesn’t go your way and you just wallow around in that, then it’s going to beat you two more times.

“It’s an opener, regardless of who we play, you want to come out of camp and put your best foot forward.”