After that night in September, did you think this Georgia team would be here with a chance to put an important number on the wall and a trophy in the case? I admit I wasn’t sure especially given the defensive problems we saw 2 weeks prior in Knoxville on top of the mess we saw in Sanford that night. If so, I’ll give you the title “ball knower.”
On the other sideline is the nuisance (I like that term over nemesis) … the Bammers. They may be playing for their playoff fortunes and their ability to be Lucy to our Charlie Brown.
Let’s get to the preview.
When Georgia has the ball
Can the Dawgs run for 230 yards against Alabama again? If so, I love our chances. Other than the last quarter and a half in Indianapolis, I’ve never seen a Georgia offensive line dominate a Bama defensive line as they did that night in Athens during the Saban era and beyond.
Mixed with a passing game that has become dangerous (last Friday not withstanding), this offense could be high powered and force Bama to do something they may not be built for at this point … win a true shootout. Drew Bobo’s injury couldn’t have happened at a less opportune time. Will that be neutralized by LT Overton’s absence due to illness? That may be the storyline to follow throughout the game.
When Alabama has the ball
Do Schumann and Smart have a better game plan than they did in September (especially on 3rd down)? Teams that have attacked Ty Simpson have had success. The Bama running game has been pretty lousy by their standard this year. The Dawgs are coming off their best defensive performance since Clemson 2024 as they put a UFC chokehold on the vaunted Faulkner/King offense (Side note – What does Faulkner’s decision to leave in a lateral move for Hogtown tell you about his faith in Key?).
Can Georgia get pressure on Simpson and control the Tide’s running game effectively? I think the outcome hinges on this. If the Dawgs’ rapidly improving front 7 can manage the game, we’ll be happy with the outcome.
What will happen
I don’t think there’s any doubt the suits in Birmingham (plus the other 15 presidents and athletic directors) want Bama in the CFP. It ju$t mean$ more. To what extent will the SEC go to get their way, that’s tin foil hat kind of stuff.
What is real and spectacular is Bama privilege. Therefore, we’re likely to be playing 11 vs. 19 all night long.
At this point, I’m asking the team to show me it can beat Bama plus the refs before I pick them.
Someone send me a crow au vin recipe and soap to wash out my mouth. I won’t be placing a bet on this, so, no, I’m not putting my money where my mouth is.
Final score: Alabama 28, Georgia 24
Not relevant to the game, but I think Faulker’s move has more to do with ACC vs SEC than it does Key in particular. Hypothetically a lateral move, but the ability to call plays in the SEC seems, to me, a resume builder you can’t find in the Almost Competitive Conference.
I’m guessing it’s nothing but it ju$t mean$ more.
Buster is also looking at King leaving and realizing his offense will take a step back next season. Might as well leave while he’s a hot commodity.
Agree, Tech was a heavily senior team this year, with several 5th and 6th year players.
I think this is right.
To be the Man, you have to beat the Man.
The time is now
The refs don’t need written instructions to know it ju$t mean$ more.
Yep…there’s a heck of a lot for the SEC to lose with an UGA win.
Almost makes me wish that CF was still an amateur sport.
Kirby’s 3rd time against Deboer, I believe?!?!? 3rd times a charm!?!?!?
Kdawg05
Kirby says each year stands on its own. Therefore, I said 2nd. YMMV. 😉
Not trying to correct, just a thought from a comment during hate week where a poster mentioned that it was Kirby’s 3rd time against king and Faulkner and they were shut down!
Kdawg05
Nice … that was me with the Brooks Austin clip!!
Ahhhh…..yes, that was it!
The real key to the game, do the Georgia coaches overthink it? In 2023 Bobo overthought the offense and got cute in critical situations. In 2024 whoever called the defense over thought the first half. This year the defense overthought the first half and bobo had a classic bobo moment on 4th down.
Play sound, smart (the adjective not the coach) football and Georgia wins. Most likely the Georgia coaches look across the field at the bama helmets and soil themselves playcalling. I will say Georgia’s center might get destroyed all game (think D Payne in the 2017 national championships game) and none of the above matters.
Cash Jones is Bobo’s favorite player. He would (and will) make that same call again and again and again.
Good grief. Cash Jones is the 3rd down back. If you sub him on that 4th down, you give Alabama a chance to sub as well.
Don’t cloud the issue with facts, ee.
Chicken……………..!!! Dawgs are due and Woodring wins it 23-21 with 3 FG’s including the game winner
I love your thinking, sir!!
We beat them today. Then next year at their house. Eventually Deboer goes back to the another team cause its too hard to follow a legend.
The only way we win today is to beat them convincingly. Birmingham is not gonna let us win a close one. I know it, you know it. ESPN knows it. The panhandlers outside the Benz know it.
I disagree because neither team is going to win convincingly. Greg Sankey and ESPN and the panhandlers outside the Benz (that’s a euphemism for refs, right?) it. We can win, but we won’t be allowed to blow them out. It’s hard to beat a team twice in one season, and it’s even harder when you only won by 3 in the first game, and it’s harder still when that first game could have been tied in the closing minutes, and harder still when the winner of the first game is suffering more injuries than the other team. I like us to win in a close one, especially if we win the coin toss and defer.
We coming.
We let 13 points on the field the first game. Fraziers fumble, Kirby not kicking field goal and the dropped RD pass. Play a clean game and it should be easy! GO DAWGS
I don’t think it’ll be easy, but yeah–we shot ourselves in the dick in Athens. If we don’t do that in ATL, we win. Wild card is Toliver (if he gets the start at C).
“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior”
(Dr. Phil, maybe)
We have every reason for expecting to be shived by Birmingham.
Q. Why not have refs from another conference officiate SECCG?
A. Because it would be Birmingham acknowledging there’s been a problem in the past..that’s why…as well as relinquishing control of what they really want to happen in the game.
Tyler Simmons was onsides!