Despite ranking the player matchups a 4-4 split, that’s the opinion of an Al.com writer who sees this outcome:
PREDICTION
Everyone is expecting a close game, but I’m not so sure. Alabama has been angry all season after losing to Clemson on the final drive of the 2017 national championship. Clemson had no chance against the Tide. Georgia is ahead of schedule with Kirby Smart and feels like a perennial power in the making, but the Oklahoma comeback took a lot of energy. These teams are mirror images of each other in a lot of ways, but Smart won’t be able to out-Saban Saban in his first game against his old boss.
Alabama 38, Georgia 15
I will say this… if Smart wants to avoid the blowout predicted there, it’s imperative that Georgia avoid giving Alabama any of those crucial turnovers that the Tide makes hay out of in the scoring column. If Saban has to work for every point, that’s going to make for a tough night, because I don’t see Alabama’s offense being explosive enough to run Georgia’s defense out of the stadium head-to-head.
By the way, one of the intangible advantages Alabama apparently enjoys is “Alabama’s defense is led by a coordinator who is employed by Tennessee, and Jeremy Pruitt has worked himself sick over the last two weeks.” It’s a darn shame Georgia’s lazy staff is going to cost them bigly tonight.
Get The Picture 
That bama fan needs to lay off the turpentine. Anything can happen, but if he wants to give me UGA and 22, I’ll take it. He won’t because he is full of shit.
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So Jeremy Pruitt having two jobs for the past month is an advantage for Alabama? Right.
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Funny, because I really think there is a higher probability of this same score with Georgia winning. I really like our offense over Bama’s offense and I think the defenses are a push.
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Absolutely. I’m going 31-14 Dawgs
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The Bama Defense is getting credit for past years performances and not actual performance this season. This Bama team as a whole is not on par with their past championship teams.
Dawgs 24-14
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Don’t see a blowout from either side. Should be a close game.
Always enjoy reading your stuff (and the comments) here on the blog. But this evening, I’ll be rooting against y’all.
Good luck and Roll Tide!
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Same to you, man… well, except for the Roll Tide part. 😉
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You left out “the” between Roll and Tide.
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Agreed with Bluto.
If a team wins in a blowout I would expect it to be Bama.
All this talk of X’s and O’s, I think offense is a push, Defense is a push thanks to Bama injuries which isn’t to say UGA’s D isn’t good but Bama can usually shuffle players and keep the team fresher than anyone in the country. UGA is getting there but that takes more than 2 years to build.
I think it comes down to 2 things special teams, going back to Richt’s early battles with Fulmer it seem to come down to a special teams play to flip the balance. Second, if UGA is back down off cloud 9 from winning the Rose and playing for it all in front of your home town. Bama will be focused from the coin toss. The good news is the Seniors have a good idea of what they’re up against and why they returned for their senior year.
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Well, I’ll go ahead and use this entry to predict the score tonight: Bama 27, UGA 17. Simply put, though Smart has brought the program a long, long way over the past 12 months, we just aren’t quite there yet. The good news is we absolutely will win a natty very, very soon, and are poised to be a superpower for years to come.
As folks close to both teams have noted this week, Bama has a considerable size edge over us, with one national writer saying Bama seemingly has 70 ‘get off the bus first’ type of guys on their roster. This will play a role, as we will struggle to control the LOS. Overall, I’d guess UGA’s chances of pulling off the upset somewhere in the 35-40% range, so yes we have more than a puncher’s chance.
Win or lose, I’m happy and very content, as all UGA fans should be. After all, if I would have told you at any point during the last preseason that UGA would go 13-1, beat UF/UT by a combined score of 83-7, win the SECC by 20+, and have the #1 recruiting class on the way that some are saying could go down as an all-time best in CFB…I suspect all of you would go utterly nuts over such a prediction.
A UGA upset tonight would be the cherry on top of an already magical season.
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Georgia’s not far enough behind Alabama that it matters much, if you ask me. The question is whether or not Georgia can run the ball effectively enough to give Fromm some larger windows on playaction and whether or not the defense can force a turnover or two. I see this being a low-scoring game, because I don’t think Hurts is a good enough passer to exploit some of the potential matchup problems in Georgia’s secondary. Neither team is going to gash the other on the ground (I think), so it’ll come down to turnovers, special teams, and which QB can hit enough plays to move the ball. I think I just talked myself into a Georgia win if they can keep the turnovers at least even.
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i think the question may be, can Fromm throw on that ball hawking secondary enough early to open up that running game ?
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Can Georgia score more points than Alabama to increase their chances for a big win?
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Did you quit using that shoe polish in your hair??
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I ran into Dooley at the Walgreen’s pick up some Dapper Dan pomade, he seems very excited about his new job. He thinks they will will win some games if he can get the pieces in place to move the ball.
Good to see a fellow UGA and Dapper Dan man advancing in his career.
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“The good news is we absolutely will win a natty very, very soon, and are poised to be a superpower for years to come.”
You echoed my words to my daughter. She is a senior at UGA and has a class with Sony. She told me how important this NC game was to her because it’s a ‘once in a lift time opportunity’ and she would get to talk about it for years to come. I told her I get the part about it happening while she’s a Senior but the thinking that this is a once rare thing is gone. We’re in a new era now and we expect to play for the SECC every year…which means we have a chance to be in the playoffs as well.
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I hope your Alabama victory prediction is the first time you’re wrong this year.
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I’ll take UGA and 10….Kirby is on it.
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I hope you’re right and I’m 1000% wrong. Again I think this will be a competitive game, but we just aren’t quite there yet. Bama has had something like 7 straight #1 classes, while we finally broke through with a top 3 class last year. Starting next year, no team in America will have a talent edge over us.
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See my comment below re turnovers….
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Seven straight classes is nice and all, but only four of them can be on the field at any given time.
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You’re a bad dawg.
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How many touchdowns did the Bama offense score against Clemson?
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How many did they score against AU? They scored 24 on LSU, 27 on A&M, 24 on FSU. They weren’t just lighting up everyone they played. It will take UGA quitting, Special teams, defensive scores or deep turnovers for them to get out of the low 20s.
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I hope all that info equates into what we can expect. Clemson’s offense only scoring 2 field goals gave Bama’s offense many opportunities and kept the pressure off of Hurts. We really need to keep closer pace in scoring. It could add some pressure to Hurts to be efficient for 60 minutes.
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Which also leads up to the question how many did they have to score? UGA could have scored 42+ in regulation many times but they weren’t facing a team that moved the ball on UGA’s defense.
Bama could score more just as UGA could have passed for more or scored more. If you’re RBs are scoring 28 points a game and your D is sold why pass?
UGA more than any time this season has to be efficient passing to open up the run.
I expect the points tally to be much like 2012 32-28. Who has the 32 is the question.
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…and that’s after giving Bama the edge at QB, which he views in an odd way. Hurts is better because he stays in the system and doesn’t lose the game, the writer says. But that’s just another way of saying that the rest of Bama’s team is better. Never mind that he gives us the edge at OL and RB.
I’ll take the other side of his bet if he’s serious. But he ain’t.
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He’s just looking at it from what he wants to see. Did he even look at how JF has preformed? “stays in the system and doesn’t lose the game”. This guy deserves zero credibility for throwing out his wishes and calling them a prediction.
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I thought the same thing. The article and the prediction don’t line up at all. I guess it’s an opinion piece but it was a lazy attempt in my opinion.
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Another lazy writer imo….probably never even seen a UGA game.
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There is no possible way to measure the height of (many) Alabama fans belief that they are entitled to the NC.
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Close first half with them stuffing our run game. If we avoid turnovers we get to halftime and it’s close I love our chances. Sony and Nick will get theirs and break a few. Hurts and that offense aren’t going to beat us if we keep Ridley bottled up. We win 24-14.
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I’m not going to argue with is prediction. His prediction has about as much of a chance of being right as the next guy’s. But some of his reasoning is ripe for criticism. I’m particularly amused that he thinks the Tide will roll (See what I did there?) because they are angry about last season’s loss to Clemson. I guess they weren’t quite angry enough against Auburn, huh?
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Great point, Grav..and Georgia has been pissed off a lot longer about the “5 yards short” game. “his reasoning is ripe for criticism”..yep! and hopefully it is ripe for ridicule.
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I was born in early 1982 and I was angry in utero about our Sugar Bowl loss to Pitt
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Yeah…yeah…yeah. I guess they were “angry” at Auburn, “angry” at Mississippi State too. If anybody is “angry”, it is the dawgs from that last ass kicking by Bama. I also believe the dawgs defense will be “angry” from the 1st half showing against Oklahoma. Nonetheless, anger can only last so long….Dawgs are built to go all 4 qtrs, I like them/us. Gonna be a close one, a low scoring game in the 20’s….I got the Dawgs by 3, we’re destined.
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Horse poop.
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We will know soon enough.
On one hand, 2017 UGA has a 2015 Oregon kind of feel to them; on the other, 2017 UGA seems like a team of destiny.
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I could see us losing close, but how does he honestly believe Bama will blow us out when Oklahoma couldn’t?
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Bama’s D is built to stop a powerful ground game, and it is Saban’s 1st priority in game planning. OU was absolutely not built to face a big ground attack.
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Looks like the bammers are mad that Smart has been out recruiting them.
This game doesnt seem like a blowout, but those thing happen.
Everything is pretty close, everything but special teams where UGA holds a pretty solid advantage.
We still need a special teams TD, we get one and this thing is over.
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I predict whoever scores more non offensive touchdowns will win tonight, maybe in a rout. So if mecole could take one to the house, somebody get a pick six, and/ or block another kick better yet Lorenzo do an ogletree 2012 seccg impression, that’d be greeeeeaaat, mkay.
Sic em dawgs!
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I worry about Alabama’s ability to simply wear us down over time. If we are able to control time of possession then the game is won on special teams and turnovers and I believe we actually have an advantage in those areas. If we can’t stop Alabama from pounding the rock I think our guys eventually succumb. They just have so many bodies they can keep rotating in and out.
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And we don’t? Alabama depth is a myth this year. We are as deep or deeper in many spots
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I hope you’re right. I see the game as basically even, line versus line, unit versus unit. If that’s true then special teams, turnovers and conditioning win or lose the game for either team. I think our advantages are primarily special teams and turnovers, though I think our quarterback is better too. So that means we need to control the ball enough that we don’t simply get worn out. This is our fifteenth game. Last week Georgia traveled to the west coast and played an extremely emotional game. Bama never left their time zone and won comfortably. The turnaround time has been minimal. I see this as our biggest weakness going in.
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You could just as easily say that’s it’s a strength because Georgia has faced a much bigger test of resolve and succeeded. In what game has Bama done that?
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This.
Georgia has shown it can win a game outside its comfort zone. Bama has not.
The key is keeping Bama off the NOT board. Make them earn every yard for scores- no turnovers or poor punts giving them a short field.
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It will be my profound pleasure to come back here tomorrow and say y’all were right and I was absolutely, positively, 100% wrong. Go Dawgs! As an old man who grew up listening to Munson and Dooley (1980 was my senior year in Athens) it’s just hard for me not to get a little worried. Is their long snappah an all american? Hey, you kids get off my lawn.
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I think we have a better “long snappa.”
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If they pound Scarborough and Harris down our throats we could be in trouble. I love our front seven, but they have a much better chance of shutting down our rushing attack than we do of stopping them. Cleveland and Thomas are going to have to have an even bigger night than they did last time we played in the Benz.
I’m putting this thing on Rod in the final minutes and Kirby throws the Emperor to his death while covered in dark side lightning.
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The way I can see this game ending up as he predicts is if we end up in the same spot as AU1, where our D ended up on the field way too much and finally caved in. It’s obvious, but our offense absolutely HAS to stay ahead of the chains and convert fairly consistently (even if it doesn’t result in points) in the first half. Of course, the aforementioned turnovers can’t happen either. I’m hoping Chaney pulls out all the stops here and Swift sees plenty of touches.
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One thing to note is that we’re deeper on the d-line then we were in the 2012 SEC Championship. Failing to rotate there finally wore us down, but we have a lot more bodies to throw at it tonight.
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“It’s a darn shame Georgia’s lazy staff is going to cost them bigly tonight.”
I see you are channeling your inner DJT. 😉
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His point by point analysis is OK until the intangibles. Intangibles strongly favor UGA and, if UGA is to win, is the reason.
Playing mad because you didn’t win your 6th National Championship in 10 years is not the same as playing for one for the first time in 35 years in your backyard.
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It’s conveniently overlooked that ‘Bama has a couple of it’s best players out and that will only be mentioned after they lose.
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Too close to call, imo, so it goes either way on a turnover/call for either. Think UGA has more offensive weapons and Bama has the better front 7. I will go with a 20-16 Bama win.
But if Jake can throw the run open early, UGA could win comfortably. All depends on him getting enough time, he is the key. player that determines the outcome. Run wide and mix the pass in Chaney, it is our only chance to move the ball against them. Go Dawgs!!
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It will be a good close game. I think we come in focused and motivated. I believe if we do we win. I don’t expect a blow out on either side. They did not blow us out in 2012?and they won’t tonight.
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If UGA doesn’t give them a turnover TD, UGA wins, period…even that may not matter. Bama’s O is not good.
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Yep. That’s my concern, that Bama gets a non-offensive TD. If we avoid that, or match them, then we’ll win. I don’t see Bama’s offense outscoring our offense.
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Well, the Alabama media was right about one thing this year: UGA would be playing against a Heisman trophy winning QB….just not Jarrett Stidham. From what I can tell the Heisman committee will have to split the trophy next year between Jarrett Stidham and Auburn’s new (sensational, unstoppable, can’t miss) BMOC: J Gatewood. And I have heard Auburn has already bought out half the allotments for the 2019 NCG in Santa Clara, Calif….Gus bus my ass.
UGA 28 Bama 17
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I think it’s all dependent on three things.
First, does Chaney call a good game? He’s been awfully good since Auburn 1 and I also think the OL shuffle resulting in Big Ben playing has made the OL much better and more physical. I don’t think it’s possible to wear this Alabama defense down, so I think we will have to take what the defense gives us.
Second, how well do we contain Hurts? If we can keep him in the pocket, he’s average. If he escapes it, he’s very good.
Third, and most importantly: Alabama will hit us HARD. They will absolutely punch us in the mouth on both offense and defense. Do we punch right back just as hard? This time, I think we will.
Holy crap, it feels like it’s an eternity until the game and it simultaneously feels like it’s on top of us!
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If Big Ben Cleveland can move that front and move it early, we are going to Kirb-Stomp their asses. Bank on it.
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Dawgs 24 – Pachyderms 20
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Georgia wants it more. They just do. That’s why they will win.
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Bama’s new reason to win is because Kirby is a traitor by committing recruiting atrocities against them. It’s funny how they say Bama made Kirby, but he was with Saban before they all went to Bama. Anyway, Saban got as much from Kirby as Kirby got from him. Kirby/UGA is the more angry team by being put in Saban’s/Bama’s shadow all season not including the aforementioned 12 SECCG and the last beat down. Our fist NCG in forever, but this’ Bama’s first rodeo of the 17 season (Clampson jus wasn’t that tough). We’ve had plenty of big game moments all season long, now we can let it all hang out. Defenses are even, UGA has the better offense and ST compounded by reasons to win. We win comfortably (will not hinge on the last drive of the game).
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Just feels like our year.
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If we can beat the magical Mayfield machine, and kick the dawg crap out of gus, we certainly can beat bama – or anyone else in cfb. Momentum and destiny exist in the real world, not just in storytales.
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Al.com.
Why are they so worried?
Logic.
If Bama was so pissed how did they get hammered by Auburn?
Flipping recruits, a/k/a now as the hatred toward Smart.
Man RammerJammer YellowHammer folks are in a meltdown.
They have no complaints about Pruitt yet until he beats them, then they will turn on him.
Has it occurred to them that Pruitt was there only two years and left, plus taking some recruits like Peterson.
Whereas Smart was loyal to Bama and Saban for over a decade. Helped them get recruits, a record, SEC and National Championships.
And now they turn on him because of the Dawgs record and achievements.
What you can say about the lack of class and character not only of Al.com, but Bama and Saban.
If Saban is so great, why would he not come out, and address this stuff.
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I agree, if Saban was actually pissed then he’d have said so by now (or should have as a man). They talk about a scared, entitled, obnoxious fan base.
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For me, it is a peaceful feeling going into this game. I know Alabama is favored. That’s for a lot of reasons, most of them old hat..depth, coaching, pedigree, etc. So I can understand that we’re seen as underdogs.
I can watch this game with the attitude that it’s just gravy I really never expected to get anyway. It’s totally different than the way I felt about the OK and even the SEC C game.
It’s like being told I won a date with a movie star and am being told that I should dress nicely, but wear clothes that can be easily removed. My imagination won’t let me believe what that might mean..
These Dawgs will give it their all. I think they are close to being on par with Alabama talent wise..Alabama’s depth is over rated..where was it against Auburn?
If you have ever in you life seen men on a do or die mission you have seen Sony and Nick tonight. They will play lights-out..and their team mates will follow. Last week they learned that you never quit..ever…or they already knew it and they taught it to us.
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Dawgs win by two touchdowns. Clemson peeled away at the Bama “is invincible ” narrative in the last two NC. Georgia is about to rip it to shreds tonight. That Alabama Defense is not as good as they were in years past. If you watched the A&M, MSU and Auburn games, I don’t see how you come away thinking that the Tide are head and shoulders above UGA right now.
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