Can the Vols get a win in Athens?
We’ve got a big one tonight in Athens. No. 7 Tennessee will make the trip south to face the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs, both teams trying to hang on to at-large bids in the College Football Playoff. Georgia was actually moved outside of the field last week following their loss to Ole Miss.
Tennessee was jumped by both BYU and Indiana, staying put at No. 7. A loss to Georgia would spell trouble for the Volunteers, as evidenced by the committee’s actions this week.
Tennessee hasn’t beaten Georgia since 2016. Can Josh Heupel pick up his first win in this series this afternoon?
Terry Lambert: Tennessee 23, Georgia 20
I entered the week thinking that this was a spot that the old Georgia shows up in. Kirby Smart, fresh off a loss, left out of the projected College Football Playoff bracket — the nobody believes in us routine has to be pretty thick this week inside of that locker room.
On the other side of the equation you’ve got Josh Heupel, who notoriously struggles away from home. On top of that, his quarterback is battling through concussion-like symptoms, his top deep threat is pushing through an injury and his star running back is beat up, too. Doesn’t seem like a great setup here for the Volunteers.
But Georgia has issues, starting at the top with Carson Beck. He’s morphed into a turnover machine in recent weeks, and making matters worse, he was sacked five times last week against Ole Miss. Things won’t get any easier this week against Rodney Garner’s defensive line.
Texas game aside, Georgia’s just not very good. Could they put out an optimal game here and blow Tennessee out? Absolutely. I’m just betting that the Tennessee defense doesn’t let that happen and the offense does just enough to win, like we’ve seen time and time again.
Craig Smith: Tennessee 24, Georgia 16
This is indeed the moment where Tennessee shows that this defense travels. The Bulldogs are ailing on the offensive line and at running back, with Trevor Etienne out for the game. Georgia doesn’t have the passing game weapons to move the ball like they have in previous years, and Carson Beck just doesn’t look right.
It’s a grind, but it’s one that Tennessee ends up on the better end of when it’s all said and done. A massive win for Josh Heupel.
Matthew Seese: Tennessee 17, Georgia 13
A game so ugly it may give you heart problems tomorrow, but if there were ever a year for the Vols to squeak one out, it’s this season. This all hinges on whether or not Nico clears protocol, but this defense is as good as it gets, and Georgia’s offense has not only struggled against the premier defenses, but they’ll be without Trevor Etienne as well. This may be wishful thinking, but this is the year to get one over on Kirby.
Connor Sexton: Georgia 21, Tennessee 17
The difficulty ramps up for the Vols this week as they head down to Athens, Georgia. The first thing I think of is how Carson Beck is notoriously turning the ball over. Can Tennessee force a few takeaways, too? Tennessee needs to step it up if it expects to win. Wide open touchdowns cannot be overthrown, field goals must be made (it was good to see Max Gilbert go 4/4 last week), Tennessee’s defense must get third down stops. Simply put, just execute. Do that, and an upset is in the brewing. But, Georgia is going to come out desperate with its back against the wall. Everyone knows that’s coming. We haven’t seen the Vols win in a road environment like this, with these kind of implications. Some will point to the road win at Oklahoma; but the Sooners have not turned out to be very good.
Norman is not Athens. Tennessee winning would be huge. On paper, that could very well happen. I just don’t see it. I’m taking Georgia to win but the Vols to cover.