Barrett Sallee’s preview of Georgia-Missouri…
It’s a cliche, but it’s true. In college football, you have to run the ball and play defense to win at an elite level, and Missouri just isn’t running the ball as effectively as it needs to in order to be a threat in the SEC East. The Tigers are averaging just 4.41 yards per attempt (No. 12 in the SEC), and is going up against a defense that is giving up just 3.38. Drew Lock, Emanuel Hall and Missouri’s passing attack will test the Georgia secondary a little bit, but the Bulldogs will pound Missouri to a point where it can key in on the pass and force Lock into mistakes. Meanwhile, Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (completing 80.4 percent of his passes) shouldn’t have any problem dissecting a Tigers pass defense that is the second-worst in the conference (305 yards per game). Pick: Georgia (-14)
… puts me in mind of something. I’m not seeing the pundits line up this week to proclaim this game as a potential upset special like the last time this Dawg team traveled to a place called Columbia. (Not that I’m accusing Barrett of doing that; it’s just that his take reminded me of others’ South Carolina warnings.)
Does that mean Georgia won’t get Missouri’s best shot?