Who Will Win - Kirby Smart's UGA Football or the Tennessee Vols?
Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!
ATHENS - Kirby Smart and No. 10 UGA football welcome the No. 7 Tennessee Vols Saturday night Between the Hedges. Here is what will happen this weekend for the Dawgs and all over college football... according to the Dawg Post crew.
Texas (-13.5) at Arkansas | ABC | 12:00 PM
Matt’s Pick: The Horns have turned the corner a little since the beatdown they got from Georgia. They’re playing better. The Hogs will give them a first-half battle, but the Horns turn it on in the end and get the cover on the road. Solid win for the Horns. Texas (-13.5).
Ryan’s Pick: Texas looks like it is the best team in the SEC I guess. Put an emphasis on guess. I don’t think we really know who the best team in the conference is. I was super confident about my pick here at first, but then I kept thinking about how this is a big line and the Longhorns are on the road.
I am going to stick with Texas (-13.5), but I think this will be a close one in terms of the line.
Dean’s Pick: I'm going to take the home underdog here - the double-digit home underdog in a rivalry game. Give me Arkansas (+13.5) and the points. I think Texas will win this game. Here's what I expect. I think Arkansas will give this a good college try, and it won't work. I think Texas is going to get an even better taste of how hard the SEC is as they close the season with all of these physical games.
Clemson (-10) at Pitt | ESPN | 12:00 PM
Matt’s Pick: Clemson can’t afford another loss and Pitt is falling apart. They’ve lost their last two and it won’t get easier with the Tigers coming to town. Clemson’s defense travels and locks down the Pitt offense on their way to a big road win. Clemson (-10).
Ryan’s Pick: Look at these guys and their soft spots for Clemson. It covered the 6.5 points on the road last week. I am not confident that the Tigers will win by more than 10 against a Pitt team that is desperate for air right now. I am going with Pitt (+10). This is the type of game that Clemson loses- a noon kick on the road against a school it should beat.
Dean’s Pick: Pitt is looking wobbly. Clemson isn't great, but they've been here before, and I expect them to get around the Panders. Give me Clemson (-10) to cover the line and keep their slim ACC hopes alive. A loss here would be a really, really bad look for Dabo.
LSU (-4.5) at Florida | ABC | 3:30 PM
Matt’s Pick: What an ugly, sloppy game this one should be. Two bad, untrustworthy football teams. Both are coming off embarrassing losses. Both coaches are in tough positions. As bad as Florida is, the Tigers are a complete mess. They’re playing worse and worse. Give me the Gators to cover this line at home. Florida (+4.5).
Ryan’s Pick: I don’t feel great about this one, but as I have a few times this season, I am rolling with LSU (-4.5). I am sick of the questionable injury designation. Give me a probable or doubtful so we can stop with all the BS throughout the week. I may come back here to change my pick if DJ Lagway is going to play. LSU can’t handle running quarterbacks.
Dean’s Pick: I think the Gators can straight up win this game because LSU is a program that doesn't seem to be able to stand up and fight right now. That loss to Alabama very well could have taken all that's left in Brian Kelly's steam out of the Tigers. This has been a bad season for LSU - and I was wrong about what Kelly could do at LSU. He's an adequate coach, but he's not an elite SEC-level coach. He's just below that, and it today's SEC you'd better be really, really good or A&M and Alabama, and perhaps others, are going to get you. I'll take the Gators (+4.5) at home.
Missouri (+12) at South Carolina | SECN | 4:15 PM
Matt’s Pick: This Carolina team feels different. They have one of the best defensive lines in college football. They’re playing connected. They’re on a roll right now and I expect one hell of an environment when the sun comes down. Giant win for Carolina at home. Gamecocks (-12).
Ryan’s Pick: I think that regardless of whether or not Missouri quarterback Brady Cook returns, I feel good that the Gamecocks (-12) are going to cover. That is one tough place to play and that is one solid team. South Carolina is going to be too much for a Missouri team that has been a little disappointing.
Dean’s Pick: No one is hotter than the Cocks right now. Clemson has been eyeing the way Carolina has played lately, and they are concerned. That game is going to be something else in a couple of weeks. The good news for the Taters is that it is at Memorial Stadium.
I can't say the same for this week's version of the Tigers Carolina plays. Missouri isn't near what USC has put together this season. And as much fun as the Shane Beamer experience can be - getting blown out by Ole Miss and then blowing out A&M (both in Columbia) - this game should be a basic win for Carolina. Give me the Cocks (-12) to cover the line.
Kansas (+3) at BYU | FS1 | 10:15 PM
Matt’s Pick: Weird line here. It feels like BYU will drop a game at some point, but this won’t be it. They’ve got some players and they’re more than capable of getting the job done at home. Big win for the Cougars. BYU (-3).
Ryan’s Pick: Lol. Vegas keeps disrespecting BYU. Cougars (-3).
Dean’s Pick: Its curious to me that the CFP's No. 6 team, BYU, is not only ranked in front of all but one SEC team this week, but yet also a 3-point home favorite over 3-6 Kansas. How can both of these things be true at the same time? How can we live in this world? We live in this world not because BYU is a 3-point favorite against 3-6 Kansas, but because the CFP committee ranked a team that stole a game against Utah and has three narrow wins this season as the 6th-best team in the nation.
Amazing. Silly and dumb, but amazing nonetheless. Give me BYU (-3), but they are pushing it these days.
Ohio State (-29.5) at Northwestern | BTN | 12:00 PM
Matt’s Pick: Lot of points here, but I’m taking the Buckeyes. They’ll run up the score if given an opportunity to do so. They shouldn’t have a problem with Northwestern at Wrigley. Ohio State running game should have a big day. I’ll take the Buckeyes in a blowout. Ohio State (-29.5).
Ryan’s Pick: Ummm, Ohio State (-29.5). Is there really that much to explain here? We should have picked Tulane-Navy instead of this. Dean chooses the games we pick FYI.
Dean’s Pick: This game is a joke. So is the Big Ten. Ohio State (-29.5).
Utah (+11.5) at Colorado | FOX | 12:00 PM
Matt’s Pick: The Buffalos have a lot to play for. They’re playing better and better. Give me a massive game for Travis Hunter who needs some style points if he wants to bring home a Heisman Trophy. The Buffs are playing well and they’ll do their best to win this one in impressive fashion. The Utes are coming off a crushing loss and might see this one get away from them. Colorado (-11.5).
Ryan’s Pick: This comes down to offensive explosion, and Colorado produces a significantly higher amount of that than the Utes. Colorado is a lot of people’s favorite to now win the Big 12. The Buffaloes have to win out to do that, and I am not sure about that, but I am sure that Deion’s team (-11.5) will handle business this Saturday.
Dean’s Pick:
It seems relatively clear that the Big 12 has done all it can to have teams that are at the top of the standings right now avoid playing one another. CU has built up a solid 5-1 record by beating the likes of Baylor (3-3), UCF (2-5), Arizona (1-5), Cincinnati (3-3) and Texas Tech (4-3).
CU's Big 12 loss is over Kansas State (4-2), which is why it is critical that CU handles these next three games - Utah (1-5), Kansas (2-4) and Oklahoma State (0-7). These are bad teams. We should see CU in the Big 12 title game - presumably against BYU where one of these two really average teams will earn their spot in the CFP.
This week? I'll take Colorado (-11.5) to cover.
Tennessee (+10) at Georgia | ABC | 7:30 PM
Matt’s Pick: I’ve lost trust in this Georgia team. I think they’ll win a close one, but the Vols are going to make this one a fight. I’m expecting a low-scoring game with Georgia winning by a touchdown. Georgia’s defense has a big game and Carson Beck makes just enough plays through the air late to secure the victory. Dawgs win a close one, but the Vols cover. Tennessee (+10).
Ryan’s Pick: This is more of a feeling for me than anything else. All of the numbers and what I have seen point towards this being a close game. I don’t think Georgia will blow Tennessee out. I don’t think this will be like 2022 where it was a 13-point blowout. I think Georgia will win by double digits, but it will not look pretty at times.
I have Georgia (-10). The Dawgs, with their backs against the wall, is not a team I want to pick against again this season. I was already proven wrong once.
Dean’s Pick: I wrote nearly 1,700 words about this game - probably the second-most important in this series' history. That's over at Final Feelings, which I would encourage you to read. I am going to take the Vols (+10) and the points here. That's more an indictment of where UGA is more than showing strength to a Tennessee team that's really struggled to score in SEC play, and has not played well generally speaking on the road under Josh Heupel, who has done about as good a job as he could do in Knoxville.
I expect Georgia to win this game, but they could lose even if I doubt that. Tennessee could benefit from playing better than it did against the Gators, Cats and Hogs, but they played much better against State last week. Now we have a lot of unknown on both sides of the ball in terms of injury.
I really don't know what to expect from Nico Iamaleava in terms of production on Saturday night. He's been more productive at home, but some of that is because of the slate UT played at the start of the year. But with him listed as questionable... it is hard to know what he can give the Vols - if he plays. He's not had a game where he's been "bad" this season, but he wasn't great against Alabama. He probably had his best game against the Cats as Tennessee got a tough win that night. Against the Gators, Iamaleava couldn't get the Vols going in the first half, which has been a problem.
Tennessee didn't score in the first half against Bama, the Gators or Arkansas. The Dawgs haven't been so hot themselves at the start of games, so there is that.
It wouldn't be wrong to expect an ugly game Saturday in Athens. Georgia needs to play well, and look good. Being on the outside of the playoff for no reason other than playing a difficult schedule leaves no margin for error here. I will take any points I can get in a game where both teams may well be two of the best in the nation, but can't play reliable offense. I will take Tennessee (+10).
Season ATS
Matt | 42-50
Ryan | 39-54
Dean | 45-47