Let all the Bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the red and black with two words, two simple words which express the sentiments of the entire Bulldog Nation: Auburn Sucks.
At 12:45 this afternoon, the 2nd-ranked Dawgs host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers between the hedges on SEC Network for the much anticipated debut of the all-white uniforms. An interesting side note … the WKU women’s sports teams are called the Lady Toppers. I’m guessing there’s a Chip Towers joke in there somewhere. Right now, rather than being a hotter than the surface of the sun, rain could be in the forecast with temperatures in the mid-80s. That probably means an empty student section by halftime and a steady stream of fans headed for their cars well before the game ends. Let’s get to the preview.
When Georgia has the ball
The big question today is whether last week’s offensive explosion was a preview of the offense’s efficiency or the result of one of the worst FCS teams to make an appearance at Sanford Stadium. My guess is that it’s a little bit of both. The Georgia offensive line gave Gunner Stockton plenty of time to throw the ball and allowed him to stand in the pocket to be efficient. The line of scrimmage did exactly what we should expect when facing an overmatched opponent … pure domination. I’m not sure the WKU defense will provide significantly more resistance against the Georgia offensive line if you look at the statistics last week against Nevada when they yielded almost 8.4 yards per play including 5(!) rushing touchdowns on the day. Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens and the rest of the Georgia running backs should be able to run with abandon against the Hilltoppers’ front 7.
When WKU has the ball
Western Kentucky scored 14 points in last Saturday’s loss. I can’t imagine they are going to get into the double digits against this Georgia defense. They ran over 80 plays last week in Reno averaging less than 4.5 yards per play. That doesn’t seem like a formula that is going to slow down the game enough to keep a final score respectable. I am assuming we are going to see a lot of quick passing as Tyson Helton probably knows that running the ball against this defense is going to be tough sledding on Saturday. I am really interested in seeing whether some of the improved pass rush we saw last weekend continues to hold.
What will happen
I expect a lot of vanilla looks just like last weekend. We have superior talent. Kirby doesn’t want to embarrass Helton. He also is going to want to get a lot of younger players some game reps against an opponent that is significantly better than the Tennessee State team we saw last week. Can the Dawgs put up 50+ on Saturday? Absolutely if Kirby wants to do that. I believe we’ll see what we did last Saturday … a Georgia team focused on getting off to a fast start. Similar to the 2nd preseason game in the NFL, I expect we’ll see the 1st team well into the 2nd quarter before yielding to the young pups.
The geniuses are back. Rather than talking about their bathroom habits or what they would do to get so-and-so player and coach, they are showing their ball-knowing to the world. Week 1 this year wasn’t likely to be to be a gold mine of genius, but we got enough on our trip to get some good laughs.
Let’s start today’s trip at Smart-Richt Field at Vince Dooley Stadium as the Jacketasses’ season collapses on the season’s first real night of games.
No one cares enough about Fech football to send genius posts from StinkTalk, but I’m here for you. 2 years ago the denizens of StinkTalk thought Brent Key was the reincarnation of Booby Dudd and Booby Ross, and he was going to get Kirby Smart fired at Georgia. Today, he’s another likely failure of a head coach on North Avenue.
To get physically manhandled by Coach Amazon Prime’s Buffaloes to the tune of 183 to 51 yards rushing should embarrass Mr. Tough Guy. Let’s follow the defensive statistics of Colorado throughout the year. That should tell us something when Thanksgiving weekend rolls around. Pain.
Let’s head a little downtown to Mercedes Benz Stadium to check on the geniuses of the Greater Opelika Cow College.
If that performance did anything for male enhancement in east Alabama, Auburn is in for a long season. Auburn wins because Dave Aranda goes for the win in regulation rather than playing for overtime. Auburn’s defense made DJ Lagway look serviceable, and Byrum Brown threw 3 picks. This Baylor team is far from the best team Auburn will face this year, so it’s not going to be pretty by the time the Iron Bowl rolls around.
Dave Aranda has run out of time in Waco without a dramatic turnaround. I give him credit for going for the win with the 2 point play, but the right play probably was to play for overtime. The guy is a defensive genius, but I don’t think he’s cut out to be the leader of the program … sort of like Will Muschamp.
I don’t care about Oklahoma State football at all, but that post less than a year after “I’m a man! I’m 40!” got fired in Stillwater makes me laugh. Getting punked by double digits by Group of 5 Tulsa is not going to make the Big 12 look good to the committee. No matter what people say, the Big 12 is at best a 1 bid league given its make-up is more like a G6 league than a P4. I’m guessing the Pokes are happy that Bedlam isn’t going to be played this year, but, OTOH, on Saturday in Stillwater, they host …
Let’s head out west to check on the Handbags of the Northwest, Oregon.
Here’s the extent of ball-knowing in Eugene. The Ducks escape 34-27 over Boise, who isn’t close to the best teams Oregon will play this year. The team statistics look like Oregon should have smashed Boise like a top 5 team should do to solid G6 program, yet they needed a late touchdown to get the win. Nike is going to make sure Dante Moore gets a ton of hype for his Heismanesque performance against the Broncos.
If the pollsters do their job this weekend, I would expect that the Dawgs move past Oregon to #2 in the rankings released on Tuesday.
Let’s move on to Ann Arbor to check in on what appears to be the next scandal involving Michigan football.
Any Michigan fan who stormed the field on Saturday night after beating Western Michigan should be embarrassed. The way it happened should be an embarrassment to the B1G and its officials. That rationalization is never used at any other point in a game. A similar play would have never been reviewed for that particular issue.
Tim Brando gets something right for a change.
Thank you Rob. An outrage, a travesty and those closest to it will all muzzle themselves for the sake of maintaining profitable relationships. It’s imperative with today’s technological advantages we get rid of Conference officials and Nationalize the Industry to that we can… https://t.co/OvRe22O0Vb
The Upstate South Carolina faithful seem to have had enough. Dabo Swinney is 121-46 without Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. Entering Death Valley on Saturday night, Clemson is 47-20 since Lawrence took his hair and talents to Northeast Florida. I don’t think many people expected Clemson to win in Baton Rouge. I know people didn’t expect Clemson football program to spontaneously combust on Saturday night either.
The benefit of the remaining schedule is that Clemson plays all of 1 currently ranked opponent.
If you gave up 38 to Louisville and needed a punt snapped over the head of the punter to provide one of the TDs, keep rationalizing, Rebels. The Kiffin Kancer is coming, and I imagine he is planning to lay waste to Oxford given they gave up almost 500 yards and a number of explosive plays.
While this week’s game in Austin is the meteor game of the century for me, the Magnolia Bowl is setting up to be a meteor game as well. Both fan bases are being insufferable for different reasons.
We’re going to finish our trip last night under the sort-of lights of Doak Campbell.
I didn’t stay up to watch the full game. The message boards geniuses want Norvell out yesterday. I’m sure every one of them will be happy to contribute their 401k’s to his massive buyout to make it happen. The power outage is symptomatic of the problems FSU is having right now. They have a chance to make a statement on national TV, and they have this happen. They have been a joke at QB since Jordan Travis’s injury. They have been awful on the offensive line since Dumbo was there.
Kirby broke them in Miami. Danny Kanell still isn’t over it … he had us #12 in weekend rankings.
That’s what I saw this weekend. I can’t wait to see which 2 fan bases in this coming weekend’s meteor games meltdown.
The Dawgs take a step up in competition after Saturday’s systematic demolition of Tennessee State with a 12:45 date on the SEC Network against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The most interesting storyline entering the game appears to be the all-white uniform that recruits have used for dress up and social media photos will be used on the field at Sanford. Let’s get to the first look.
Series record / last meeting
Georgia leads 1-0. In 2006, the Dawgs rout WKU 48-12 in a game led by a strong defensive effort combined with an anemic passing game as Joe T started and eventually Matthew Stafford threw his first collegiate TD pass. Mikey Henderson opened the scoring with a 67 yard punt return TD. The Georgia defense created field position throughout the game allowing the offense to put up points without breaking 300 yards of total offense.
Gambling degenerate facts
According to DraftKings, Georgia is a -40.5 point favorite (after opening at -35.5) with a point total of 54.5. Once again, the money line is off the book. I’m not sure what to think about the lines after last week. Are the betting markets seeeing that Kirby is trying to make a point, or is WKU just awful after taking a 35-point pounding from (check notes) Nevada?
Interesting statistic: 7.69 (Rushing yards per attempt allowed)
The Hilltoppers allowed 323 yards and 5 TDs on the ground on Saturday to the Wolfpack. Needless to say, they are taking an enormous step up in competition on Saturday between the hedges. Nevada’s tailback averaged over 13 yards per attempt while gaining 152 yards, and their QB averaged over 8 per attempt. While I doubt we go over the 323, I would expect us to be in the 7+ range per attempt.
Early outlook
WKU has been one of those mid-majors who can be a thorn in the side. On initial look, this edition of the Hilltoppers doesn’t look like that. This situation is the unintended consequence of the transfer portal and NIL. A program like this finds a few players who were under the radar, and then they are gone when they show the big boys any potential. The Dawgs are going to win and likely win with margin. The question is whether they cover the enormous number.
Given they only scored 14 against Nevada, I can’t imagine they will do more than that without a lot of help, so I’m assuming there will again only be one digit on the other side of the scoreboard. On offense, is half a hundred too much to ask in consecutive weeks? Probably.
Solid win heading into SEC play and we get to see a lot of the younger players get more reps.
What’s your thought right now for Saturday?
Will you be wearing white on Saturday whether in Sanford or at home?
At 3:00 today with an air temperature of 96 and a heat index over 100, the Dawgs open their defense of the last 2 years’ SEC championships between the hedges against the Tennessee State Tigers. We have waited 8 months to get the bad taste out of our mouths from the close loss in New Orleans to Ole Miss in the CFP quarterfinals. While the outcome of the game isn’t in doubt, there are a number of storylines from a UGA standpoint to watch in each phase of the game. Let’s get to the preview.
When Georgia has the ball
I know the focus is on the young group of wide receivers as the Dawgs use Saturday to prepare for the remainder of the season. The rumor mill has not been complimentary so far regarding receiver play as drops and failure to separate have been the in vogue words about this group. I have no idea what to expect today … all the way from superior athletes making plays against inferior DBs to OMG, we’re in trouble when we see a secondary with a pulse. I expect we are going to see Kaiden Prothro and Jaden Reddell introduced to the college football public this afternoon.
All of this makes me think we are going to see bully ball with the Georgia offensive line opening holes with Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens and company running through and past the Tigers’ defense. I don’t expect to see anyone with 100+ yards unless one of the running backs busts a long run or 2 before heading to the bench for a lot of Powerade. I expect that we are only going to show pass plays that have been on Georgia film for years.
If we don’t have 225+ yards rushing, my pucker factor is probably going to rise as a result.
When Tennessee State has the ball
I expect a lot vanilla looks from the Georgia defense today as probably the guys on our 3rd team defensive depth chart could likely handle anything the Tigers throw at them. TSU ran for under 90 yards and less than 3 yards per attempt against Jackson State last Saturday. Needless to say, there’s a step up for them facing a Georgia team built to stop the run (last year’s 4th best rush defense in FBS). Ellis Robinson is likely to be matched up against Jayden Guy (9 catches for 148 with a 45 yard reception) while Robinson is in the game.
Given TSU averaged a little over 6.5 yards per attempt last week, I am sure the Tigers are not going to expect their QBs to use 5 step drops and force the line to hold up for 4-6 seconds on every snap. Of course, that means in some corners, people will be complaining about the pass rush.
As I said earlier in the week, if the opposite side of the scoreboard has 2 digits on it, I will not be pleased.
What will happen
Dawgs roll but likely don’t cover the enormous number because I’m guessing Kirby wants to get in and take control and get out of the heat. I have a feeling the defense has a very bad taste in their mouths from the quality of game the last time we saw them and that permeates the depth chart. The first team offense scores with consistency before yielding to the young guys and things get sloppy.
After the most tumultuous offseason the sport has ever had, hopefully, all will be forgotten as the 2-time defending SEC champion and consensus #3 team in the land takes the field against the FCS Ohio Valley Conference Tennessee State Tigers on the hallowed sod of Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Let’s get to the first look.
Series record / last meeting
First meeting … I’m going to use this space to grind an ax about scheduling. I understand we need to play these games against FCS and Group of 6 opponents (I don’t really agree but anyway). What I don’t understand is why we don’t schedule them with programs in our state first.
Gambling degenerate facts
According to DraftKings (at ESPN), Georgia is a -46.5 point favorite with a point total of 56.5. The money line is off the book. Said differently, Georgia is -infinity. If you’re a betting man, pounding the under in a game like this where the 4th quarter could be played with a 12:00 running clock may be a good idea.
Interesting statistic: 180 (Rushing yards allowed last week)
I didn’t know until yesterday morning TSU played in week 0 against Jackson State. Their defense gave up 180 yards rushing at a 4.7 yards per attempt clip to JSU. That’s probably not a good omen for the Tigers as they step on the field against a top 5 Power 4 opponent built to run the ball and stop the run.
If we don’t generate 225+ on the ground, the game day thread is not going to be pretty.
Early outlook
There’s a reason the money line isn’t posted. The Dawgs are going to win and win big. Whether they win by 47 or more is a completely different question. I expect the starters to run up a margin in the 30s before they go to the sidelines to rest from the mid-90s heat at kickoff.
If this defense is as elite through the depth chart as we believe it is, a 2nd digit on the scoreboard without some turnover or special teams snafu will be a serious disappointment. I do wonder who will be the first QB off the sideline when 14 leaves the game on offense. I really want to see if Zykie Helton is as good as advertised up front.
Dawgs win and look sound doing it. Kirby will have enough on film to chew on his team before a step up in competition next Saturday.
What’s your thought right now for Saturday? What’s your game day food and drink choice? Mine right now is a food truck (hopefully, Cafe Racer) at Creature Comforts with a cold Classic City Lager with my daughter and son-in-law.
The north side will be a broiler. The south side will be a hot Blackstone griddle. I’m guessing the aftermarket prices on these tickets will be “Are you giving those away including your parking pass?”
The defending SEC champions open on streaming only. Wow, just wow.
Saturday afternoon Ole Miss as the 6 seed takes on the AAC champs and 11 seed Tulane in Oxford. Duke’s win in the ACC championship moved the Green Wave up one spot and likely resulted in Notre Dame’s ouster from the field. Ole Miss and Notre Dame likely would have been a much more attractive game for TV. Instead, we get a rematch of a previous mismatch for a spot in New Orleans to face the Dawgs.
Series record: Ole Miss leads the series 44-28 and holds a 3 game winning streak in the series.
Last meeting: In September, Ole Miss ran out to a 23-3 lead and never looked back cruising to a win at Vaught-Hemingway. Ole Miss rolled up almost 550 yards of total offense as Trinidad Chambliss had 419 yards of total offense and 2 TDs. The Ole Miss defense yielded almost 180 yards of rushing at a 4.6 yards per attempt clip.
Gambling degenerate facts: Caesar’s has Ole Miss as a 17.5 point favorite with a money line of -950 and a point total of 51.5.
How should a refugee watch this game: The easy answer here is how do the Rebel Black Bears look without Joey Freshwater on the sideline. His play calling and feel for the game are a big reason for the Rebels’ explosive offense and their QB play throughout the season. Can Charlie Weis, Jr. guide Chambliss and the offense to make it difficult for Tulane to keep up with them? How will Pete Golding respond to being the man on the sideline?
I’m just as interested in seeing what Jon Sumrall is all about as he moves to Hogtown to be the chief Handbag. I don’t know if this game will be a good barometer for his prospects in North Florida.
Interesting statistic: 4.33 (Ole Miss’s average yards yielded per rush)
Ole Miss has been subpar defending the running game. Mississippi State rang up 262 yards on the ground in the Egg Bowl. As you all know, the Dawgs chewed up yards on the ground in the regular season meeting with them. Tulane’s best shot is to be able to move the chains with the running game, play keep away, and shorten the game.
Early outlook: Similar to other G5 playoff game, the visiting team does not have a lot of paths to stealing a win. Tulane has a better shot than JMU because of the coaching turnover at Ole Miss and the unknown of whether Golding is ready to be the guy.
I just don’t see the Tulane defense getting the number of stops necessary to get the win, and I’m not sure they can do it enough to cover the spread.
Ole Miss takes care of business and will be in for a rude awakening on Sunday morning when they are facing a Georgia team that has become a force.
Saturday afternoon (night for us) the 5th seeded Oregon Ducks host the 12th seeded Fun Belt champion James Madison Dukes for the right to face Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. None of the powers that be ever planned for 2 Group of 5 champions to make the field, but then again, no one thought the ACC would be so pathetic where the winner of the World’s Smallest Outdoor Cocktail Party would ever be left out. This match-up really does look like a September rent-a-win game rather than a game with national championship implications.
Series record: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Gambling degenerate facts: Oregon currently is a 21.5 favorite with a money line of -2000 and a point total of 49.5.
How should a refugee watch this game: Refugees should watch this game with an eye toward a potential national championship showdown with the Ducks. Are the Ducks good, or is their record a product of a schedule that included an overrated at the time the game was played Penn State?
I’ll be hate watching the game because after a trip to Disneyland a number of years ago, I figured out Oregon fans are the west coast version of the Handbags but without the nattys in their history.
Interesting statistic: +2.92 (Oregon’s net yards per play)
Once again, I don’t know if this is a product of the Oregon schedule, but a greater than a net 2 yards per play tells me they are good on both sides of the ball and they create and prevent explosive plays. I expect we’ll see their explosiveness on Saturday.
Early outlook: I really don’t see a path to an upset in this game without significant help by Oregon through turnovers and special teams miscues.
JMU is likely to be happy to get the playoff check for the Sun Belt and prepare for the return of SBB to his natural environs. Oregon is going to look to make a statement that they plan to use an advantageous path to the best of their ability.
Ducks win and win big, but I doubt their players will be eating chicken wings on the sideline in the 4th quarter.
Later today on SEC Cupcake Saturday, the Dawgs face off with the Charlotte Gold Diggers … wait, I mean 49ers … in Athens. This team could be one of the worst FBS teams to appear in Sanford Stadium in recent memory. They are 1-9 with their win over Monmouth.
Let’s get to the preview.
When Georgia has the ball
Unless the offense turns the ball over, the first team offense should be able to score at will every time they get the ball. I look for Kirby and Bobo to call the game conservatively and to tell Gunner to minimize his running attempts. We clearly won’t be putting anything on tape for future opponents, so I expect to hear the Bobo haters a couple of rows behind me to be in rare form after every play that doesn’t get a first down or a touchdown.
I’m hoping to see Ryan Puglisi and the 2nd and 3rd team offense get significant snaps as Gunner and the 1st team offense spend a lot of time on the sideline to get ready for next Friday. I would love to see CJ Wiley get a chance to get that first TD of his young career today.
When Charlotte has the ball
The 49ers’ offense has cracked the 30 point barrier once this year in their only win of the season. They have scored a total of 19 offensive TDs in 10 games with 5 of those coming in that single win. (1 kickoff return for a score) They haven’t been good running the ball, so I expect a lot of quick throws while milking the clock as much as they possibly can.
Today would a good time for tight man coverage. Javen Nicholas has some pretty good statistics for a wide receiver with almost 700 yards and 5 TDs. Against North Texas and UNC, he had over 100 yards receiving, so don’t be surprised if the 49ers try to feed him the ball.
What will happen
The outcome of this game isn’t in doubt. At ESPNBet, you can’t place a money line bet. ESPN Analytics have the Dawgs with a 99% chance of winning.
The question is how much does Kirby want the starters in the game before he empties the bench. I’m guessing once the starters have stretched a lead to 30+, you will see wholesale substitutions.
Whether that gives the Dawgs a chance to beat the spread is a completely different question.
This week didn’t disappoint in the message board universe with upsets, controversy and seasons crashing & burning. We’ll get to the Plains at the end of this week’s journey around college football. Let’s start out with the season crashing and burning in Tallahassee as Pitt ends any hope of a CFP berth for the Tribe.
The only defense really to limit Alabama and Ty Simpson now is leaking like a sieve as they give up 34 points and almost 500 yards to a Pitt team that has lost to the powerhouses of West Virginia and Louisville. Everyone who was hailing Mike Norvell as the turnaround genius in September is now back to calling for his head on a platter. Don’t look now, but the Seminoles have a surging Wake Forest team coming to Tallahassee and a trip for what may be a resurgent Clemson’s Super Bowl as Dabo fights for his job security in the Upstate.
Let’s jump out west to check in on the Handbags of the Northwest … Oregon.
“Humility is a week away” should be a motto plastered on every locker room and weight room in America. After being the latest team to rain on the annual Penn State white-out parade, Oregon gets slapped around at home by Indiana. I love Dan Lanning, but he seems to find a way to lose games his talent and NIL budget shouldn’t lose.
Their fans have a degree of entitlement and expectation not seen since Spurrier and Meyer were on the Hogtown sideline. I don’t care for that fanbase at all. 49-3, you jerks.
Let’s head down the left coast to the Coliseum to check on the state of the Michigan cheating Wolverines.
While not an upset (the Men of Troy were a home field advantage favorite), USC skull drags Michigan to the tune of almost 500 yards and a 2nd half 17-6 surge en route to an 18 point win. The Wolverines’ season is officially on the brink where they will have no marquee wins assuming they lose to anOSU in Ann Arbor. ESPN and the committee want Michigan in their invitational, so Saturday’s loss makes winning out mandatory.
On the other side, the Boy Wonder has Saturday’s trip to Notre Dame and a late season trip to Eugene to bolster their playoff resume or to put Riley officially on a hot seat entering 2026.
Let’s head to the Cotton Bowl and the Texas State Fair to check in on the Crimson and Cream at the Red River Shootout.
Texas methodically puts Oklahoma away with defense and special teams. Josh Pate has slobbered over John Mateer all season, and he doesn’t meet the moment against a Texas team that was reeling after last week’s loss to Florida. The Texas offense continues to sputter under the Archduke. I’m sure F-bum will start the Arch publicity machine back up again.
At least, Texas now has a Power 4 win unlike the Not so Happy Valley faithful after another loss to an overmatched opponent.
James Franklin seems to have completely lost the fan base. (Editor’s note: Franklin is now out as reported on Sunday) Everyone knows Penn State’s 2 wins in the CFP last year were of questionable value at best. Drew Allar is lost for the season with a leg injury. Penn State may be fighting for bowl eligibility this season after starting as the #2 team in the country to prove the value (or lack thereof) of the preseason polls.
I’m sure Franklin consulted today with the Voldemort of agents, Jimmy Sexton, on his buyout provisions to the tune of the 2nd largest buyout in CFB history (behind Dumbo).
Let’s end today’s trip on the Plains for a game that was truly the opening line of a Charles Dickens novel.
Geniuses calling for Kirby’s firing just need to get off the bandwagon and go find another team to cheer for. To the other geniuses who are saying it’s back to the “Donnon” days likely have no idea what they are talking about.
On the game itself, I have no idea what we were doing on either side of the ball in the 1st half. We had no answer on defense for what was one of the SEC’s worst offenses. In particular, Auburn had success running the ball where they could protect Jackson Arnold from making mistakes. On offense, we looked like we were up against the ‘86 Bears with the number of breakdowns we had in the offensive line.
Then, the fumble happened.
After that, the Dawgs took control of the game in a way I wasn’t sure we could do. We couldn’t get a consistent run game push, so Gunner was throwing it around. Our front 6 then absolutely took over the game as Auburn had less than 30 yards of total offense in the 2nd half. Why did that defensive effort not show up from the first snap? That’s what frustrating about this team. They are immensely talented while also being inconsistently motivated.
As to the last scoring drive, the Georgia offense did its best impression of a dementor by sucking the soul out of not just the Auburn defense but the entire program as shown by the reaction of the Auburn family.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch that cheered for Nick Fairley and retired Cam Newton’s jersey after being at the Alabama Cow College for all of 1 year.
What did you see this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
