Georgia Football: Reaction to the 3 biggest games in the SEC

Georgia football was off this week. It was a much-needed bye, given the injuries and Georgia losing its best player for at least three weeks. But, there were still games being played in the SEC that not only impacted the overall landscape of college football but also impacted the Dawgs. I gave out the three games in an early post and made some predictions on them. Given that there isn’t an instant reaction blog for this week, I wanted to give some thoughts on each of the three games and what to take away from the games. So, without further ado, here is the instant reaction to the rest of the SEC.

1. Tennessee vs Alabama 
At one point in this game, I thought the Vols were about to be Alabama. Heck, even Alabama fans were posting about past championships at halftime. It was a terrible first half for the Tide. But Bama returned from a 17-point deficit and won the game 34-20. Tennessee’s chances to win the East is on life support. They have a less than 1% chance of winning the East; it is entirely out of their hands now. So, how does this affect the Dawgs? Well, it’s one less team to worry about trying to get out of the East and play in Atlanta. The Vols are still dangerous; they can play spoiler of Georgia’s playoff and SEC East hopes. However much I do not believe that statement I just typed, there is a chance.

Georgia may face Alabama in Atlanta in December for the conference title, which is troublesome but also exciting at the same time. It’s disconcerting because the way Alabama plays style-wise could match up well with the Dawgs, which not many teams can do. That would make winning back-to-back SEC titles extremely hard, and I don’t want to have a nail bitter against the Tide. On the other hand, it’s exciting because if Georgia won against Alabama, it would put the dagger in the Alabama dynasty. How sweet would it be if the Dawgs were the ones who did it? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves; we must beat Florida first.

Here is a video summarizing the second half of the Alabama vs. Tennessee game:

2. South Carolina vs. Mizzou 
Did you fall asleep during this game? Did you wake up seeing the score and scramble for the remote? I did! Mizzou won 34-12. The Gamecocks had multiple chances to make this game a little more entertaining than it was. Shane Beamer did not break his foot this time or blame everybody except himself. At the end of the day, it is all about growth, and Shane Beamer is growing. I do not have any takeaway from this game because of how poorly the Gamecocks played. For the people out there who are worried about South Carolina playing well against the Dawgs but not Mizzou, do not worry. South Carolina has a ton of guys out and is limping to the finish line. South Carolina has given up.

Mizzou is a good football, and they will give Georgia a decent game. But I must determine if they have the depth to beat Georgia and the defense. If you asked any Mizzou fan out there if they are confident in their defense, they would say no. It’s not good; I don’t have any other way to describe it. Mizzou still has one conference loss and will have one when they go to Athens in 2 weeks. While Georgia is playing Florida, the Tigers get to rest, as they are on a bye. The Georgia vs. Mizzou game will likely be for the SEC East, which will bring some juice, but I still think the Dawgs will win until proven otherwise.

3. Ole Miss vs. Auburn 
For about 15 minutes, I thought Ole Miss might lose this one. As Georgia fans know, Jordan-Hare is a challenging place to play. Ole Miss would probably agree. Even though Auburn has no offense, they made this a four-quarter-ball game. Auburn is still rebuilding, but they have a good defense that keeps them in games. Outside of that, I don’t have many positives about the War Eagles/Tigers/Plainsmen.

On the Ole Miss side, the Rebels’ defense has improved, and they have a decent offense. Ole Miss still has an outside chance of winning the SEC West. Though it is slim, they are still tied in second until the LSU vs. Alabama game. So good for the Lane Train and the Rebels. When writing why Georgia fans should watch this game, I said it was an excellent opportunity to scout Ole Miss. I scouted, and I have to tell you I came away relieved. Of all the times I worry about beating the Dawgs, it is the Rebels. Say what you will about Lane Kiffin; the guy can coach an offense.

Given that he knows Kirby Smart’s defense, I was worried. But after seeing Jaxson Dart being inconsistent and erratic with the football, I feel better. Ole Miss can still give the Dawgs a hard time, and I think Ole Miss can pull off an upset out of all the games down the stretch. But I have been wrong all year, so who knows?