GAME WEEK THREAD: #5 GEORGIA v. #13 AUBURN

Talking heads are back on the Georgia train. Over the weekend, Barry Odom and Gus Malzahn have blown kisses in the ear of UGA fans by talking up the program. I know everyone here was just elated that Herbstreit is showing love to UGA again.

This should be an interesting matchup. Despite all the "you're so wonderful" coach speak, this game will be a test for us to see if we're really ready to make a run at the CFP and LSU. This will be as big a matchup as it gets this season. Gus is coaching for his job. If he loses this game, the natives on the Plains are going to get mighty restless and their cries will probably be too loud to ignore this time. The season by all rights has already been a disappointment for Gus, but lose to Georgia -again- and Arkansas might come calling.

Now that the 24 rule has elapsed and we're back down to earth after the Mizzou performance, my main concern right now is that as the season has progressed, we seem to have become a program that I have little confidence in when we're playing from behind. I expect to see an aggressive strike in the first possession to get points on the board and start chipping away at the crowd noise. I don't want to see us playing from behind or trading TD's, and I don't expect that to happen. If we are efficient on passing downs, just efficient, I think we pull away fairly quickly. On paper, these two teams match up well, but when you look closely at the rushing and passing yards allowed, it shows enough gap for us to do what we do and wear them down. Lately Auburn has had a tough time getting off the field on 3rd down, and that can be a certain difference maker against a physical team like us. Auburn's offensive success clearly depends on which freshman QB shows up - Bo Nix or Bo Picks? I expect Dillingham to draw up the deep plays to test our secondary quite early on. If Auburn can't crack the secondary and Nix is getting pressure, it's over before it began for Assburn. And I think this is a distinct possibility.

At some point, and I keep saying this, someone other than Cager is going to have to step up and start breaking space and dominating. Calling out you Mr. Pickens and you Mr. Jackson. It's time for the next generation of pup to emerge as the next big thing. Cager can't do this by himself. This topic has been beaten to a pulp, but honestly, our offense could be so radically changed just by designing some simple routes for our TE's. In & outs, quick slants (cf. Nauta 2018), and hitches. Nothing crazy, just simple efficient routes that play into Jake's strengths. You'd see EVERYTHING on the defense loosen up and chains moving quickly. We'd all be chattering about how beautiful it is to see some real offense again. But alas, I fear our cries fall of deaf ears.

In an atmosphere like the Plains, disciplined football is going to be paramount. All the things CKS preaches - especially discipline and composure will make the difference in this one. Take the crowd out of it early by aggression. Don't commit stupid emotional penalties. I mean, this is textbook stuff, but this is a textbook smash mouth SEC matchup.

My prediction for this one is a little bit stronger than the spread right now. I think we shake and bake in the 1st half, and I think the defense hounds Nix all day, right out of the gate. We win the turnover battle +2.

Georgia 26 - Awwwwburn 17

Solid read if ever there was one.

Have taken note that Gus is speaking to anyone that will listen about how talent loaded Georgia is in 2019. SouthernDawg, spot on about Gus having to win this game. There are some unforgiving fans on the Plains that have railed for his departure for quite some time. Alabama Tide fans will probably be pulling for Auburn to win against us. Would definitely help their cause if that happens.

All about us now. This is Auburn and they will play as hard or harder against Georgia than they have played against any team in 2019.

WartDawg made some good points in another thread that I hope will reach the ears of those running our program. Much more to say about this game before the kickoff.

Coach'em up!

Gentlemen.... there are a few very simple things here to discuss.

One is that losing to Carolina was unconscionable. That is a trash team and our loss there is the only thing that gives me pause with what I will say next.

Friends... UGA has a National Championship defense: From D-line to LB's to DB's... from inside to the outside, and from the starters to as far deep as one can reasonably expect to see much playing time... it is there. You can look at the raw stats.. yardage, points, etc... you can look at the adjusted advanced analytical stats, and we have it.

Which is what makes that SC loss so bewildering, and leads us in to the offense. I'm not going to rehash the analysis I put forth in other threads like "Mizzou game day" and others, but I will say this: Even with our inexperience at receiver, there is no reason we can not generate enough offense to beat any other team in the nation, but we can not let our opposition neutralize Swift and our running backs.

Teams are going to stack the box and make it impossible to run with any consistency between the tackles. I've already spoken about receivers vs man, utilizing the TE's , etc... but one thing I really haven't noticed until I reviewed the year and there it was sticking out like a sore thumb;

Running backs in the short passing game. I believe Swift only has 15 or so receptions for the year. The short passing game to RB's are often the same as running plays, so it really isn't changing our desire to be a ball control punishing offense. This is another untapped bullet in our ammo belt, and when they come into the box.. we need to bring it out.

AND WE HAVE GOT TO BE PREPARED TO BRING IT OUT. This is where I think we were unprepared for the SC game. We didn't have a plan B ready for that game so when plan A was taken away, we had nothing to turn to. We have got to have Swift and Herrien getting yardage by hook or by crook. If not this way, then that.

So I think it's all on our preparation. We can not go into the remainder of the season with such an arrogance that we think we can completely dictate what we want to do.

It's there for us on offense, and they owe it to this historic defense to be ready to deploy whatever is needed to get the job done.

Very much agree Wart.

I said it in the Mizzou thread. This is the best defense I've ever seen. We do, 100%, have a championship defense. No weak links, no nothing. It's there.

We do not, however, have a championship offense. While the traditionalist inside of me loves the smash mouth, we're gonna run it down their throat and crush their will approach, that is the football of yesteryear. And it showed in the SC game. You have to adapt, and the reason why there wasn't the plan B you talked about Wart is because each time we went to that well, it was giving us water. Against SC, that well ran dry and we stood there with the bucket in our hand not knowing what to do.

If we go deep this year, it will be in spite of our offense - not because of it. Fortunately, we've got a great enough defense that our offense just has to be efficient. Or, as dawg nation described it, "brutally efficient." I'll take efficient so long as we are adapting to what the defense is throwing at us and being creative.

Auburn is going to stack the box, you can take it to the bank. Their defensive ends are quick on the outside. Their tackles are big. This is NOT a pushover team.

Yes Buc, they will be ready for us. If there's one game the Gus bus is tuned up for, it's this one. It's in a hostile atmosphere. Lots of hurdles that have to be cleared here. We're not to Atlanta yet. Nowhere near it. Plenty of football left to play.

In music it’s all about the bass....

In the blog world it’s all about content....

Ever want to see what makes Dawgs.com. Different and better from

The other clickbait factories..... this thread is a perfect example..

Excellent post SouthernDawg.... followed by accurate and thoughtful

Comments .....facts not fluff....

Two cents..... Vegas has us as 2.5 point favorites

Buc .....first heard it from you when Shep was a pup..

Defense in the SEC wins championships....

along with the kicking game ... Dawgs have both boxes checked..

Kirby..... will have a few tweaks for Gus ..... book it..

Go Dawgs

I understand the "in spite of" line of thought, but my point is that it doesn't have to be that way. Wr have the ability... the talent is there to take advantage of
what they sell out to take away, but we've got to practice it and implement it when it's needed.