Alright, Georgia football fans, it is our favorite week of the season as we gear up for the annual matchup in Jacksonville in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, or whatever they’re allowing us to call it these days, with the hated Florida Gators.
The Dawgs comes into Jacksonville 7-0 and the No.1 team in the country, while Florida is 4-3 and unranked.
Both teams had the week off to prepare for this showdown, but the last time we saw Georgia on the field, they thumped a then-undefeated Kentucky. As for Florida, they lost to a bad LSU team that hung 49 points and then fired their coach Ed Orgeron the following day.
Georgia comes in a 14 point favorite, but that doesn’t matter. In 2014, the Dawgs were a 10.5 point favorite and would lose 38-20. Back in 1997, Florida was the defending national champion and a 20.5 point favorite over the Dawgs. However, with starting safety Kirby Smart, Georgia won the game 37-17.
So even though that No.1 ranking looks nice and the betting line is large — it means nothing in a rivalry game like this one.
Smart told the media during his Monday press conference, and this game has never been about the rankings.
"“It’s a rival game. Our kids understand that one of their losses was to Alabama, in which they played a really good game at home, and they had an opportunity to win,” Smart said in his Monday press conference. “And then it was two road games. So, it’s not about records and I don’t think it ever is. It’s a lot more about what we do, not about records.”"
Georgia’s offense is good — like really good. Do not let the media and other fan bases tell you that the Dawgs are a defensive-only team. Yes, their defense is elite, but the offense may not be far behind.
There may not be many teams affected by injury more than Georgia, especially on offense, so it’s hard to say they aren’t when the Dawgs haven’t had a healthy offense all season.
When an offensive weapon suffers an injury, somebody for Georgia steps up in their place. Starting tight end-Darnell Washington went down during Fall camp, so Georgia inserted Brock Bowers.
George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock, Jermaine Burton, to name a few wideouts that were hurt this season, and the Dawgs insert freshmen Ladd McConkey and AD Mitchell.
Even starting quarterback JT Daniels went down, and Georgia was able to insert Stetson Bennett. The list goes on. However, it could potentially be swinging upward.
Daniels seems to be on his way back, and receivers seem to get better each week.
That said, here are three things Georgia’s offense needs to do to ensure that St. Simons and Jekyll Islands are full of a lot of happy Dawg fans. Oh yea, while enjoying the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the World Series.