No. 7 Georgia will look to avenge the "Dobbs-nail boot" instant classic of last year, when the Tennessee Volunteers stunned the home crowd with a Hail Mary for the ages. Unlike last year, though, these two teams seem to be going in much different directions.
The Bulldogs are riding high after stomping Mississippi State last week between the hedges, while Tennessee is 0-1 in the conference, struggled mightily with 0-5 UMass last week on Rocky Top and has a coach in Butch Jones whose rant on Monday seemed to suggest that he was feeling a little bit of pressure.
Georgia is a 7-point road favorite over Tennessee in the SEC on CBS game of the week.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Neyland Stadium -- Knoxville, Tennessee
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Storylines
Georgia: If the Bulldogs defense plays the way it did against Mississippi State last week, Tennessee doesn't stand a chance. Ultra-athletic linebackers like Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy and Roquan Smith have been all over the field; the defensive front is deep, versatile and experienced; and the Bulldogs picked off two Nick Fitzgerald passes last week. Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in the game, Terry Godwin has become a solid option downfield with tight end Isaac Nauta serving as the weapon up the seam and true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm has the confidence and ability to sling it with accuracy deep downfield -- something injured sophomore Jacob Eason didn't do a year ago. Georgia is as complete of a football team as there is in the country right now.
Tennessee: The Volunteers have to find some sort of offensive identity outside of running back John Kelly -- who has been awesome leading the SEC with 112.5 yards per game on the ground. Quinten Dormady has been inconsistent and throws off his back foot too much, which makes it hard to find some of the talented, yet raw, weapons outside like Marquez Callaway. The Vols need to hit some big plays early if they stand a chance, because digging a hole that Fromm is forced to dig out of is their best -- and perhaps only -- path to victory.
Prediction
Sorry Tennessee, there won't be any magic in this one. Georgia's defense will hold Kelly in check, force Dormady (and perhaps backup Jarrett Guarantano) into several mistakes and may turn this game sideways before going into halftime. After the half, the conversation will shift from "can Georgia contend," to "just how good can this Georgia team get prior to the SEC Championship Game?" Pick: Georgia -7
