So, somebody clinched a division title.

Only it wasn’t Alabama.

Congrats, Dawgs. You’ve earned it.

I don’t always travel to Auburn, but when I do…

Confession time:  I’ve only visited the Plains for a Georgia game twice.  But I’ve picked my spots well, I think.  The two I’ve made were the 1982 and 2002 games.  So when I go, the Dawgs win a title.

I’m about to head out and go with the hope that history keeps repeating.

Stay victorious, my friends.  And consider this your game day post.

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On the other hand, he doesn’t lack for confidence.

Jonathan Wallace starts at quarterback for Auburn today.  He may not be sure of how well he stands up to Georgia’s defense, but he’s certain about one thing:

“From what I think about Georgia, they are going to come for me and I’m going to have to make some plays,” Wallace says in this video. “That’s just what it’s going to come down to. Of course, we’re going to be able to run the ball some, but it’s really going to come down to whether or not I can make the plays that need to be made.”  [Emphasis added.]

They’ve got a good back in Tre Mason – although one of the complaints lobbed against Loeffler is that he hasn’t made enough use of Mason – but this team is only averaging 2.61 yards per game in rushing against conference opponents.  I guess Wallace is hoping the Georgia defense confuses Auburn with Lexington.

VanGorder’s Job One: keeping the lid on

For Auburn to have a real shot today, it seems to me that it’s going to have to do something about big plays.

We all know Georgia’s story on offense about that – the Dawgs are currently ranked third in the country in offensive plays of 20 yards or more.  (Texas A&M, which destroyed the Tigers 63-21, is first.)  But when you run through the full comparisons on big plays, it looks especially grim for Auburn:

• Auburn – 73rd on offense; 96th on defense
• Georgia – 3rd on offense; 25th on defense

What makes those numbers even worse from Auburn’s standpoint is that one thing Georgia’s defense has done well all season is force three-and-outs.  It ranks third nationally forcing 50 three-and-outs, an average of 5.5 per game.  Meanwhile, Auburn is 121st in the country in third down conversion percentage.  That’s not a good combination if you’re the Tiger offense.

It’s hard to see how Auburn keeps things close if VanGorder can’t find a way to keep Georgia’s offense from breaking off a few big plays.  The Tigers lack the offensive firepower to trade punches.