Before we get started, as a public service announcement, I have been ridiculously stupid off on my weeknight picks this week. A few weren’t my fault – really, Buffalo, REALLY?! A few just went the wrong way – ALL the North Carolina kicker had to do was miss in regulation – and there was a whiff or two – thanks, Toledo.
So keep that in mind on these first two picks …
Can Louisiana Tech’s offense get hot? I’m sort of under the belief that 1) yes, the Bulldogs haven’t played anyone, but 2) they’re that good offensively and now they get to prove it. Marshall is at home, but the line has moved up to Herd -6.5. That’s a lot to give the Tech offense. The 54.5 seems low, too.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Fresno State – San Diego State is almost certainly going to be 24-17. The hard part is guessing which way it goes, since all San Diego State games seem like they’re around the 24-17 range. The Aztec O is SO bad, but it’s down to a PICK in some places? With that SDSU D at home? Thanks.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
ACC Betting Advice, Final Thoughts
If you’re really that weird and want in on the Alabama State – Florida State game, BetMGM does have it at Noles -41.5. This is for bowl eligibility or FSU, so it’s going to try and it should be up big in the first half, and then empty the bench in a hurry. As FCS paycheck games go, be warned, the Hornets aren’t that bad.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Of course Clemson is going to roll past Wake Forest. Of course there won’t be that much drama, and of course the team is going to try to make a statement, especially on Senior Day. The Tigers get two weeks off after this, but just be careful here. The Demon Deacons won’t win, but the world is giving the 13th-best offense in America – granted, without WR Sage Surratt – 34.5 points. It’s a not-that-crazy risk to take.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
[lawrence-related id=500342]
You’re teasing me, aren’t you? You’re mocking an exhausted man who hasn’t slept for over two months by telling me and the fine people reading this that Virginia Tech is only giving up six points to Georgia Tech? I know the Yellow Jackets are playing better, but you could make it 16 and I might not blink.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Don’t think hard here. Duke bad, Syracuse really bad. The 10 seems like a lot for a struggling Blue Devil team to be giving away to anyone right now. but the Orange are winless in a miserable ACC for a reason.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Am I late to the party here? Have I missed the moment when NC State did anything this year to suggest that it should be just a +4 against any team on the verge of bowl eligibility? The Pack will make it a fight against Louisville, but this is a bad State team.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
UGA Wire interviews pair of Auburn students on Saturday’s upcoming game with Georgia
Georgia will renew a storied rivalry Saturday against Auburn on the Plains.
Before the Bulldogs and Tigers kick off, we wanted to give you a different perspective on the game. You’ve heard what the Georgia and Auburn media have to say and you probably know how your fellow Dawg fans feel heading into this contest.
Down on ‘the Plains’ we have Miles Espy who is a graduate student at Auburn University and a longtime Tiger athletics season ticket holder, while Frank Parker is an undergraduate student who also attends a number of athletic events at the Barn.
After a successful segment on the hardwood with these two last February, we decided to bring them back. Below, you will find all the information you need from two surprisingly confident Auburn fans heading into Saturday.
Let’s get to it.
We’ve heard a lot about Auburn’s daunting defensive front, including the almost irreplaceable Derrick Brown. Aside from the defense, what can we expect to be Auburn’s biggest strength on Saturday, specifically on offense?
Parker: “I think the biggest strength of Auburn offensively will be the depth at running back. The true freshman DJ Williams has proven himself to be a #1 back with his ability to run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield and when you pair that with Whitlow’s return from injury and the always sneaky Shaun Shivers we have a very talented and deep backfield that will give the Dawgs fits.”
Espy: “Auburn’s defense gets a lot of the credit as they should, but Auburn’s offense does have some things going for it. I would say a player to look out for when Auburn is on offense is Anthony Schwartz. A question Georgia fans need to ask themselves is ‘what does Gus Malzahn like to do on offense in big games?’ He loves to run a lot of gadget plays and trick plays. Anthony Schwartz has been on the receiving end of a lot of these classic Gus Malzahn trick plays. He runs on Auburn’s track team, is training for the summer Olympics in 2020, and has run the 100-meter dash in 10.07 seconds. Look for the Tigers to get him the ball in creative ways on Saturday.”
The Tigers have beaten Georgia and Alabama six times this decade, but only one of those wins came on the road (2010 Alabama). Following up on that, what is it that makes Auburn’s home field advantage so special? Not counting the 2010 championship season, almost every major Auburn win this decade has come at home or a neutral-site venue. How does Auburn make a stadium so similar in size to Georgia’s that much tougher to play at?
Parker: “Auburn’s home field advantage is unlike any other in the country. You can tell that the players really feed off the fans and when the student section is rocking and the fans are into it I don’t think any team can come in there and confidently say that they are going to beat this Auburn team.”
Espy: “I’ve attended several Auburn home games throughout the year, and I’ve seen Auburn play at Sanford Stadium four times, including our thrilling 31-30 victory in 2005. The biggest difference is the student sections. Sanford Stadium gets plenty loud, and their students love football just like Auburn students. However, Sanford Stadium has their students scattered throughout the stadium, whereas Jordan-Hare Stadium keeps all the students in one defined area. I believe this, as well as having the largest jumbo-tron in college football, makes Auburn a more intimidating place than Georgia.”
This Auburn team opened the season with a come-from-behind win over a very good Oregon team. After that, the Tigers dropped their two biggest games of the season to date, though they were on the road. The offense has its struggles, but the defense has proven it can keep them in big-time matchups for the majority of the game. With an extra week to prepare for the Bulldogs and a little home-cooking, will we see a difference in the Auburn offense on Saturday? Can Auburn figure out how to put 6’s on the board rather than 3’s?
Parker: “I think we will see Auburn get back to basics this week. Gus is determined to run the ball against this vaunted Dawgs defense and if Bo Nix can minimize mistakes and not have any turnovers Auburn has a great chance to win this game. The bye week certainly helps, considering Gus Malzahn is 8-0 after bye weeks since he has been at Auburn and he is outscoring opponents 282-180 after bye weeks. That extra week really helps round out the game plan.”
Espy: “I think so. I’m not saying Auburn will look like LSU on offense, but I think they look better than they did against Florida and LSU. Something you have to remember is while Bo Nix is an incredibly talented QB and has future Heisman potential, he is only a true freshman. I think the crowd noise at The Swamp and Death Valley gave him problems. He has played much better when the crowd is on his side. He has thrown for more than 300 yards in his last two home games, which were against SEC defenses. This should help Auburn get more touchdowns instead of field goals.”
Every year Kirby Smart has been at Georgia, the Bulldogs have dropped their annual SEC West road game in the middle of the season. With an embarrassing loss to South Carolina in October, playoff hopes are on life alert unless Georgia wins out. Do you think Auburn can catch Georgia off-guard like in 2017 or will the Dawgs be ready this time, after that terrible defeat to a head coach who works for Georgia?
Parker: “Kirby will definitely have his team ready for Saturday. They can’t afford to drop another game if they want their playoff hopes to remain alive. However, this Auburn team is hungry and would love to play spoiler for its rival. It’s gonna come down to which offense can get it going against these very tough defenses.”
Espy: “Georgia wasn’t caught off guard in 2017, and they definitely will not be caught off guard this year. Auburn is a hostile environment to play in and Auburn had a very good team in 2017 and has a very good team this year. As a matter of fact, I guarantee you UGA has had this game circled on their calendars. Players like Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift remember getting embarrassed at Jordan-Hare two years ago, and they’d love nothing more than to get a win in their return visit.”
Of course we know who you want to win the game, but answering as neutral as possible, what is your score prediction for Saturday? Will the Dawgs clinch the East and head to Atlanta with playoff hopes still alive or will Auburn play the role of spoiler in Jordan-Hare?
Parker: “My score prediction for this weekend predicts an Auburn victory by a score of 17-13. I think it will be a hard fought, physical game where each of the defenses control the game. However, I believe the extra week off will give Auburn the edge so that they can come out on top.”
Espy: “I definitely see a low scoring game. Auburn’s offense has been slow against big time defenses, and Georgia’s offense has been a disappointment this year. Georgia will win the SEC East, but it will not be clinched this weekend! In a battle of two similar teams when it comes to talent, I’ll take the team with home field advantage. Auburn wins 20-10.”
If you could only pick 1 of your 37 mascots to be the official face of Auburn Athletics, which would it be? It’s kind of confusing with all of this Wartigerplainsmen stuff, ya know?
Parker: “I’m not going to entertain this question.”
Espy: “This is such a wonderful question and so beautifully asked. A simple google search would inform you that Auburn’s official mascot is Aubie the tiger. Aubie is a 9-time mascot national champion compared to Hairy Dawg, who has 0.”
(Seems a bit harsh Miles…)
Let’s say Georgia and Alabama beat Auburn, who ends up finishing 0-4 against the SEC elites. Is Gus’ job safe?
Parker: “If Auburn drops both games against UGA and Alabama, I still think Gus’s job is safe. With the highly ranked recruiting class coming in and a young quarterback who has the potential to be a star I don’t see the university letting go of Gus just yet.”
Espy: “I don’t see this happening, but if it does, certainly not. I’ll hate it if Gus is let go. Gus is a very good and underappreciated coach. He’s been more successful against Nick Saban than any other coach in the SEC. However, when your biggest rival has potentially the greatest coach in the history of college football, you’re constantly going to be compared to him.”
How do you expect each of these teams to finish the season? (Guess final record entering bowl season and their bowl or playoff destination.) Ex: Auburn goes 8-4 and makes the Outback Bowl.
Parker: “I think Auburn ends 9-3 and plays in the Outback bowl against Michigan. I think UGA ends 10-2 and winds up in the Orange bowl vs Wake Forest or the Cotton Bowl vs Memphis.”
Espy: “I see both teams ending with the same record in 10-2. Unfortunately, this will not be enough for Auburn to get in the college football playoffs, and I see the Tigers ending up ranked in the 5th spot. I think Georgia is not far behind in the final rankings in around the 7th. This will be good enough for both teams to go to quality New Years Six bowls and beat a team from a lesser conference. Auburn and Georgia finish 11-2.”
That’s all folks! Make sure to check back with UGA Wire throughout the weekend as we bring you extended coverage of Georgia-Auburn.
Kirby Smart briefed the press in regards to WR Lawrence Cager and C Trey Hill’s injury status, following Saturdays 27-0 win over Missouri.
With the departure of former Bulldogs receiver JJ Holloman prior to the 2019 season, there were some question marks surrounding the team on who would be Fromm’s new favorite receiver. Enter Lawrence Cager, the senior wide receiver out of Baltimore, Maryland who has fit in just perfectly to that roll.
Cager, who has established himself as the Dawgs #1 wide receiver option this season, aggravated his shoulder in the second quarter of last weeks game against Missouri, and would not return.
Along with the Cager injury came an injury to center Trey Hill, who suffered a ankle sprain in the first quarter of the game. Hill would also not return to the game.
In Kirby Smart’s Monday press conference he was asked about the health of both Cager and Hill.
“We’re expecting Lawrence to practice today,” said Smart. “And Trey has an ankle (sprain), but he’s going to be able to practice today, as far as we know.”
“They are both cleared to practice.”
Exciting news from Coach Smart.
#5 Georgia comes into the matchup with a record of 8-1, and 5-1 in the SEC. The Dawgs will secure a spot to their 3rd straight SEC Championship with a win this week over Auburn.
Cager has averaged 14.7 yards per catch and has 4 touchdowns on the year, even with missing some time. Kirby Smart will need to manage these injuries very closely if he wants Cager and Hill to help him beat the #13 Auburn Tigers this Saturday.
A full injury update will come later in the week, including updates on the status of both Cager and Hill.
